You Asked Me to Love You
by Secret Hate of Indecision
Summary: AH/AU. Rosalie and Bella Swan are new at Central Parkway Boarding School. While Rosalie gains instant attention, Bella struggles to fit in. She later meets Edward and Alice, siblings who have a precarious past. Can she find love through all the drama? R
1. Preface

**Title:** You Asked Me to Love You

**Rating:** T for language and other stuffs. no descriptive lemons o.o

**Genre: **Romance. Drama. Humor. very, very tiny mystery. Im talking real small here xD

**Type: **All Human. Alternate universe. Out of character.

**Full Summary: **Bella Swan and her sister Rosalie are new students at Central Parkway Boarding School. With the school's rich, conceited kids and twisted reputation, Bella struggles to fit in like her older sister. Along the way, she discovers happiness, change, & true love. But what is really happening in the shadows that even _she_ doesn't know? Sure she doesn't, but she's bound to find out. Now of course...sometimes you have to make sacrifices to get what you want.

**AN NOTE: **Hey, tis audrey here! this is the ff story ive been writing, and ive just been itching to post it. im still not one hundred percent sure on this story, and my Parallel Intuitions is on temporary hiatus (pause, or whatever)..although the next chapter might come up sometime. idk xD

the idea for this story kinda came up during school, when i started asking myself questions like, "why does edward always have to be _the_ best? And why doesnt he ever stand in the background as much?i decided to write a story on it. sounds stupid, i know, but a girl can be inspired.

anyway, i really, really hope you guys LOVE this story, and so far in what ive wrritten, i sorta love this one :) plus, PLEASE read authors note at the bottom.

**now, happy new year :D ...we're all getting closer to our death beds. sigh. -.-**

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**Preface**

Central Parkway Boarding School was the one place where popularity was everything. Sometimes it was called Central Parkway Academy for the sake of breathing. Rich, beautiful, snobbish girls strived to be Queen, hot, muscular guys strived to be King. Together, the Queen and King dominated the school, their clique filled with snobbish, rich, good-looking ambassadors, generals, shoguns, and whatnot. Authorities were terrible, and yet, the school still managed to get high rankings.

It was the one boarding school in California that involved so many backstabbing, unstable, repulsive relationships of every kind that you could imagine. The school held a reputation for being an STD school. Translation: Nearly every person there has done naughty things. Rather funny, even if I do say so myself. Guys often had more than one girlfriend; girls often had more than one boyfriend, both did disturbing things behind closed doors. It was like an easygoing tradition; the attractive, conceited people would act like know-it-alls. They'd act like they had nothing to lose, and used the rest of the good-looking people like tissues. One blow, then away in the trash can and onto the next. Now Charlie didn't know that; all he saw was a decent boarding school in Beverly Hills, the perfect place for his two teenage daughters.

So I suppose it was tragedy that I had to go to this one school with my sister for the sake of Charlie, my dad. At least it would be only two years for me, one year for Rosalie. I had to have expected everything would be the same as all the other schools she and I have gone to.

While Rosalie basked in the glory of her beauty, I hid in the background, silently envying her perfection. She didn't know that, though. For sisters, we were complete opposites. Her, a beautiful figure that could be on the cover of a swimsuit magazine, and me, the girl that walked along school halls comparing her horrible looks to those with good looks. Rosalie was popular. In fact, she was the "Queen Bee" back at our middle school in Florida, and then in our high school in Forks, our most recent home. With her soft blond hair, piercing dark brown eyes, perfect body, and beautiful face, she was the candy for all the guys. All the girls bowed down to her. Even family members adored her, praising her beauty and perfection; they acted like I wasn't there. And although she didn't look like it, Rosalie was incredibly smart. Book smart. She was intelligent, and probably even smarter than me.

No one noticed me. I was just another girl at the school, at home, at family gatherings. I was Plain-Jane Bella Swan, with brown hair that had reddish tints to it in sunlight, and chocolate brown eyes which I concealed with hazel-colored contacts. I had one or two friends, but it's not like they were my best friends, not people I could share secrets with, or have deep conversations with, or come to when I'm having a major nervous breakdown, with the exception of Alice. I wore sweats, plain jeans, and t-shirts; the most I had ever gone for was Hollister or Abercrombie. Rosalie, however, wore more fashionable things – skinny jeans, Ugg boots, and skimpy skirts.

At CPBS, I stumbled over my own stupid mistakes, envied the other girls, crushed on the guys – the typical life as a seventeen-year-old girl. There was only so much I could do. When you strive to keep all of your relationships from crumbling meanwhile trying to make everyone happy, life gets pretty twisted. But I didn't grow up in the US to ask for money, or sex, or even a soul mate. All I wanted was to be happy.

Anyway, I learned several things in my junior year. Okay, one thing: With money, you can have practically everything you want in the world, and life itself would be your ideal happy place. But the one thing you can't get with money is true happiness. Or love. Especially love.

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**WHADT YOU GUYS THINK?!?!  
just a prologe. i honestly dont think its that similar to WTDA, but thats me, so once again, lemme know please. ill get chapter 1 up soon. **

**special thanks to my lovely beta and friend, .SiNGxawayuki. you rock :D**

**_IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: _**please, please do me a favor. im sure youve all heard of the ff Welcome to Drama Academy, which is by far the most popular fanfiction atm, and im sure you pretty much love it. please, please, as i post chapters, pm me or let me know as soon as possible if my story is too similar to WTDA. it isnt my intention to plagarize her story, so please let me know if they're too similar so i can delete this one and work up the second version (i typed a part of it just in case). thanks so much!

**now, please review so i know ur with me. thanks guys :)**


	2. Welcome to Beverly Hills

chapter one peoples! **HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!! :D i posted this at 12:01 AM :D**

**Disclaimer for all chapters: I dont own twilight. sadly. :P**

So, yeah. chapter one. if yu think it sounds corny. lemme know. -.-

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!** its going to take me a couple weeks to get used to putting 09 on my papers rather than 08. :P

review please and alert and favorite, and do tell me if its too similar to WTDA. thanks so much :)

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**CHAPTER 1 – Welcome to Beverly Hills**

"Well, here we are," Rosalie said excitedly as she gazed out the window of the car. "Home sweet home."

"Yeah. Central Parkway Boarding School," I replied with a sigh as I parked the car in the campus of the parking lot. I glanced at my watch – 4:00 PM. Wow, had we been talking with Charlie for that long?

The memory of our somewhat emotional discussion of our departure with Charlie was quite ludicrous. Charlie apologized constantly, and he felt terribly sorry about how important his work was and that he didn't have time to take care of us. I don't really care, actually, and Rosalie was so annoyed to the point where she didn't either. We just wanted to get out of the house to escape his continuous apologies. And when we did, we took a flight all the way from Forks to the middle of California. Beverly Hills was the place of all places.

I stepped out of the driver's side of my black Mercedes and glanced around the campus. People who were walking around and talking with their friends gave us curious, speculative glances as they passed by. Some even froze in their places and stared at me as if I was a unicorn or something. Consequences come when you begin two months into the semester. I silently wished we could have decided to come here at the beginning of the year.

The school itself looked very, very decent. It was made of several buildings, one of them being a large cafeteria and another being a gym. The surrounding campus was very nice, with pretty flowers and gardens in the quad area. Some food restaurants and department stores were nearby. Judging by the teenagers, rich kids definitely went here. Really, really rich kids. The girls wore loads of make-up, the guys hung out in large clusters. The girls wore nearly nothing; the guys had really low jeans on.

I tried to ignore the not-so-quiet whispers and stares boring into my back as I walked – stumbling once and earning snickers from the girls – and popped the trunk open. Time to introduce Rosalie. "Hey, Rose, can you help me get these suitcases out? There's umm…" – I counted silently – "12. Nine are yours."

"But, Bella," Rosalie whiny but silky voice came from the front of the car. I could hear the pun in her voice. "I just got my nails done before we left!"

"Nails, shcmails," I said with a laugh. It was so much like us to joke around. "Get your ass back here and help me."

Rosalie's musical laugh rang across the yard, and a second after that, I heard the loud click of heels as she stepped out of shotgun, the wind blowing through her long blond locks, big sunglasses on her face, and tight skinny jeans on her legs as she strutted her way over to me. Fashionable as ever, of course. Moose calls rang around the campus while everyone watched the two new girls.

Rosalie's red heels were really shiny, I noticed randomly while I pulled out one of her bright pink suitcases. I chose the smallest one. It was really, really heavy.

"Here's yours," I said, nearly dropping it onto the ground. I grabbed another one of hers. "And yours. And yours again. Oh, what a shock, yours again. This one's mine. Get that. Oh!" I accidentally dropped one of the suitcases land on her foot. I bit my lip, knowing she was going to have a fit about it.

"Ow. OW!" Rosalie screamed.

Now it wasn't intentionally, but the look on her face made me laugh. I stopped laughing when she glared at me. I quickly apologized.

"I'm so, so sorry, Rose," I said genuinely while people smirked. "Is your foot okay? Do we need to go to the ER?" Crazy as it sounded, it'd be possible to break a foot with one of Rosalie's suitcases.

"Bella!" Rosalie exclaimed. "You ruined my shoes!"

"Oh, the world's going to end," I said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. I inwardly laughed at myself – worrying about her shoes while there was her foot to worry about instead. I wonder…if someone offered her a 600 dollar dress for cutting all her toes off, would she do it? I giggled.

Then I bent down and examined her pumps, my expression solemn again. "Are you crazy? There isn't a smudge of dirt on here. It doesn't even look like it was scratched."

Rosalie took a breath. She sounded as if she were close to tears. "Bella, are you absolutely sure? I got these for $200."

Did I mention Charlie's a lawyer?

"Doesn't matter. You'd probably buy yourself a new pair even if it wasn't scratched," I muttered too low for her to hear. I nearly shoved next suitcase into her arms. "Here, sis, we need to find our dorm." I smiled innocently.

After we got our schedules and all the typical high school things, we set out to find our room. Since the decision to attend the school was sudden and Rosalie and I wanted to stick together, we had to share a dorm with another person.

"Building E. Where's that?" Rosalie asked while frowning, her eyes darting around the campus. It was a good thing that everyone resumed what they were doing before, though some guys did come up to Rose and use pick-up lines. She politely declined them, probably analyzing each person's physical appearance in her mind. She had this mental checklist of requirements.

"I don't know. Can you please, _please_ take a bag?" I said exasperatedly while I rolled two of her suitcases in each hand, my duffle bag slung over my right shoulder and her duffle bag over my left shoulder along with my laptop – and this wasn't all of it, the rest was in the trunk. My shirt was slightly stained with sweat because of my extra workout.

She ignored me. "Building E…building E…" she glanced around.

I groaned, dropping her things to the floor and ignoring her glare. "Give me that."

"No, I got this," Rosalie said stubbornly.

"No, you don't," I sighed. "Rose, give me the paper. I'll get us there. In case you haven't noticed, I have a better sense of direction than you do."

"Bella, it's that way," she said in defeat, pointing behind us.

I glanced behind me, and sure enough, a big E was on a building behind us.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," I said as I glanced back and forth between my body (covered in luggage) and the building, which looked so, so far away.

Rosalie shrugged. "Well, let's go."

"Hey, wait," I said as she began to walk. "Help me with these bags."

"Hell no," she replied quickly as she took three steps away from me. "This is what you get for denying those guys who offered to help you," she said smugly.

"Um, Rose, that was you," I mumbled. "They offered to help _you_. Not me. _You._" The usual, of course. "And you're carrying one suitcase and one duffle bag!" I exclaimed exasperatedly. "Plus a piece of paper which happens to be the map of the school!"

Rosalie shrugged and said, "Well, are we going or not?"

"Fine," I grumbled. "Next round, it's all you," I added darkly.

When we went up the steps of the building, I was going very slowly. Rosalie was ten steps ahead of me the entire time.

"Where are you, Bells? You're so freaking slow!" Rosalie called.

"Would you like to take some luggage, sister dear?" I yelled back as I nearly tripped over the steps.

She didn't reply. I heard the sound of her heels clicking against the stone steps.

"Why couldn't we take the elevator?" I exclaimed.

"_Because_, Bella, I want to work out," Rosalie replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I can't look fat on my first day here! If I, Rosalie Swan, looked fat, it would be a disgrace to the female population! And _you_, my lovely sister, can't look fat either!"

I rolled my eyes at her logic and huffed heatedly – it was much like Rosalie to stress over her appearance. I love her of course, but sometimes she can be quite vain. It was also much like us to argue, although we were bound to laugh about it later on, like always.

Plus, I wasn't fat, at least I didn't think so. In fact, many people at my old school told me I needed to eat more. I was pretty flat with nearly non-existent curves, and had a pretty slender body, even if I do say so myself. Rosalie wasn't overweight either. She had the perfect body – curves in the right places, long, skinny legs, and her physique was overall magnificent, like a Greek statue. And for that, I envied her.

When we arrived at our dorm room, I pulled out the key to the room.

"Someone else is living with us," I said as I turned the lock and opened the door. I hoped our roommate wasn't going to be snobbish-looking like all the other people here.

All thoughts were lost as I took in the sight of my new house for the year.

The dorm was absolutely luxurious, for a dorm at least. A wide, open window was the first thing I saw from the doorway. In front of the window, to the right, stood a large, inviting suede couch facing a plasma screen TV. To the right side of the room was a kitchen complete with granite countertops, a stove, a refrigerator, and a microwave. Beside that was a bedroom with an adjoining bathroom. On the left side were two other bedrooms. One of the doors was closed, and a piece of paper was taped on it.

"Alice Cullen," I read aloud while I cocked my head to the side, staring at the bright pink highlighter ink. "Huh."

"Did someone call my name?" a silky, bubbly voice asked from the other side of the door. Simultaneously, the door flew open, and I didn't see anyone.

"Hello? Down here?" the voice said again.

I looked down and noticed Alice, a petite girl with inky hair, her little spikes pointing in every direction.

"Hi, Alice," I said, holding out a pale hand. "I'm Bella."

"Nice to meet you, Bella," she said, her blue-green eyes bright. "I'm fifty-eight inches of pure cuteness," she joked.

I smiled at her; I liked her already.

"Hi," Rosalie said, flashing her dazzling smile. "I'm Rosalie, but call me Rose." My sister held out her hand.

"Alice Cullen," Alice replied cordially, shaking her hand as well. She grinned at the both of us. "We are going to have so much fun! Oh" – she nodded her head at the piece of paper on the door – "As you can see, I've marked my territory." She winked at us. "Here, I'll help you guys settle in."

"Oh, you don't have to," I said quickly.

Alice shook her head. "No, I want to. What kind of roommate would I be if I didn't?" She raised an eyebrow at me. "Plus, I got you guys gifts!" Alice ran into her bedroom.

I gave Rosalie a horror-struck expression, and she stared at me with a perplexed expression.

Alice appeared before us again with two neatly wrapped boxes.

"For you," she handed one to Rosalie. "And for you." She gave me the second one. "Open it later. We should unpack now if we want to make it to dinner at the cafeteria. We'd get the glory of free food. If we eat at the restaurants outside, it actually costs money." She feigned a terrified expression, and then laughed. "I save my money for shopping."

Rosalie giggled – she was a shop-a-holic, too.

"Alright. But we need to get the rest of the luggage," I said politely, though there was warning in my voice.

We spent the next two hours talking to each other while unpacking our clothing. Alice helped me first since Rosalie _insisted_ that I had no fashion whatsoever, and judging by the looks of her, Alice would be able to fix that.

"I just started junior year here," Alice said casually while she put one of my shirts onto a hanger and hung it on the rack. I'd chosen the bedroom nearby the kitchen.

"Cool," I replied.

Alice laughed. "Yeah. I needed a change; get out of the house, you know?" she said. "Makes me feel all claustrophobic," she joked.

I chuckled. "I see. Do you like it here?"

Alice smiled. "It's…interesting. The drama, the snobs here. Oh, and the boys," she added, a faint blush coloring her pale cheeks.

I laughed. "Find any guy you wanna go out with?" I teased while her face reddened even more. She really was pretty.

"Nope," she replied. Then she changed the subject. "So, you and Rosalie are sisters? Why did you guys come here?"

"Yeah, we're sisters. And as to why we came here, it's because our dad, Charlie, is all busy with work and stuff. He rarely has any time to be at home with us. I mean, he goes to work and then sleep and then work and then sleep. The guy's stressed out. We just wanted to help him out, get the weight off his shoulders so he doesn't have to worry about his girls, too. Rosalie wasn't too happy about it at first, but I convinced her to go."

"Oh," Alice nodded. "What's your dad's job?"

"Lawyer," I replied immediately. "How else do you think we could afford to go to this school?" I joked again. Alice giggled and put the last shirt on the hanger. "What's your dad work as?"

"Doctor and surgeon," she replied with a grin. "Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I actually came down here from Denali, Alaska. You?"

"Forks," I replied.

Alice smiled. "The little rainy town in Washington," she said as I nodded.

"Well, I'm going to help Rosalie now," she said warmly as she walked out the door. "By the way," – she turned back to look at me – "I want to get you new wardrobe. First thing tomorrow morning, we go shopping!"

-------o-------

"And finally, here's the cafeteria," Alice said as she pushed open double doors, unveiling a massive room filled with teenagers and students. It really was loud in there, but the moment Alice, Rosalie, and I stepped in, all went quiet.

I, feeling humiliated, blushed while we made our way to the lunch line. Alice just looked bored as she picked up her tray, as if she knew this was going to happen. And Rosalie, well, she was Rosalie. She walked like a runway model, casually flipping her hair behind her shoulder and jutting her chin up confidently. Lucky her. She could look good without falling on her face. Hell, she would probably still look good falling on her face.

I grabbed a tray silently, trying to act like I didn't know of the piercing stares and hushed whispers, snickers, and other jeers. I lost my appetite for dinner, which was for sure. After grabbing an apple, a soda, and some bread rolls, I considered myself done. Alice had a large plate of food complete with two slices of pizza and chips, while Rosalie had a simple salad and water. Typical for her.

And then I turned around, chewing on my lip nervously as I stared back at the fifty hundred eyes on us. Guys were staring appreciatively at Rosalie, probably imagining hundreds of fantasies. I knew Rosalie would really appreciate that – she had a history of many boyfriends and break-ups. The longest relationship she'd shared was in her junior year with a guy named Jeremy; the relationship lasted a grand total of five weeks.

Alice led us over to a vacant, circular table in a corner and sat down normally as if nothing was wrong and began to devour her food. Rosalie and I stood sheepishly, until Alice glanced up at us with a nod and a smile.

I sat down, but couldn't bring myself to eat. I mean, what's up with all the staring? _Don't you people have something better to do…say, oh I don't know, eat your dinner_? I thought irritably.

Rosalie looked just as uncomfortable as I. She didn't like it when people watched her eat, and that was one similarity we shared.

Cautiously, I tore a piece off of the bread roll and brought it to my mouth, staring directly at the wall in front of me. Rosalie watched me and began her dinner too, staring only at the food in front of her.

Gradually, the talking started again, although it was immediate gossip. The people – even the guys – weren't very surreptitious about it, and the girls weren't either.

"I mean, look at her hair! I see split ends. See? Look."

"- the blond has a nice ass. Do you think I could get her in bed with me?"

" – bet you eighty bucks you can't get Blondie to go on a date with you."

" – perfect skin, perfect hair, perfect face, damn. Perfect body too. I wonder…"

"…brown hair, boring face, too-pale skin, too small, too ordinary…"

I sighed. Of course people were criticizing my originality. As if I had one.

"Hey, baby," a boy said. I glanced up from my dinner to find a tall, blond-haired guy with a baby-like face standing next to Rosalie in a position I assumed he found seductive. Rosalie was drinking her water, but she froze and began analyzing the guy as usual, her eyes trailing up and down his body once before landing on his face. She didn't look too happy when she was done. She looked rather disgusted, actually, but she flashed him a friendly smile and finished her sip. He took it as a "continue on" gesture.

"You're like a student and I am like a math book – you solve all my problems," he said coolly.

Rosalie choked on her water while Alice and I stifled giggles.

Rosalie froze for a moment, composing herself, before looking back up at the tall guy and smiling.

"Baby," she purred flirtatiously. Humor was evident in her eyes, but the boy didn't notice. "I'm afraid you have it somewhat backwards. I am like the math book. You are just a confused little student trying to get into my pants," she said sweetly, winking at him. "This math book is smarter than you think." She tapped her head.

I watched as his ears turned red.

Rosalie winked again, and purred sweetly, "You're not my type."

He walked away, his face twisted in chagrin while moose calls and laughs could be heard from the other side of the cafeteria.

"Math book," Alice giggled while Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"That guy isn't muscular enough for me," she said matter-of-factly as she returned to eating her dinner. She could selectively choose her men, lucky her.

Alice laughed and then checked her watch.

"They're coming," she sang somewhat an exasperated voice.

"Who?" I asked in response.

Alice nodded at the double doors at the entrance, and then sighed. "Them."

The doors were pushed open, and a large group of teenagers walked through a second after she spoke. They all appeared to be either juniors or seniors, but who cares? They were all incredibly good-looking. The talking quieted down just a little bit as all the eyes flew to the entrance, all of them ogling.

The first person that walked through was a tall, muscular guy with copper skin and coal black eyes. He was extremely tall and muscular, and although he _was_ attractive, he also looked intimidating and in demand. The next line of people was two other guys, both also tall at around six feet. One of them had blond, curly hair and ice blue eyes, while the other had curly brown hair and brown eyes. They each had their arms around one girl. Behind the four of them was one last person with auburn hair and emerald green eyes. He, too, was tall and lean, and also had his arm around a gorgeous strawberry blond.

They were really, really attractive.

"Holy shit," Rosalie gasped, her voice struck with awe. "So damn…_hot._"

"Huh," was my response as I watched them laughing with each other, poking and giggling like a group of friends should. The boy with auburn hair threw his head back and laughed, a dazzling smile on his lips. He looked incredibly handsome. The girls giggled and ran their hands through the guys' hair. It was a rather…repulsive…thing to see.

"They are hot," Alice agreed calmly, though she, too, was gawking at them.

"Who _are_ they?" I asked.

"See the guy in front? That's Jacob Black. He's the leader of the group. And the two guys behind him? From the left, it's Jasper Whitlock, Cassidy Brown, Emmett McCarty, and Jessica Stanley. And the people behind those guys are Edward and his supposed girlfriend Tanya Dachelet. Quite a handful to look at, aye?"

"Yeah," Rosalie replied. She was obviously doing her analyzing process again. I snuck a glance at her to see that she was in fact satisfied; the glint in her eyes was mischievous as she stared at the one I assumed was Emmett. Rosalie spoke, her eyes still glued to the teenagers.

"Jacob and his guys are on the football team, well at least him and Emmett. I mean, you could tell by their size," Alice said. "Jacob is team captain. He and Emmett walk around school halls like good-looking know-it-alls. Jacob likes being in control, you see."

Rosalie stared at Emmett. "Are they…"

"Promiscuous?" Alice finished with a laugh. "Hell yes. Especially Jacob. There isn't a girl in this school he _hasn't_ slept with. Oh, and Edward is too. And Emmett. And Jasper, although he's not as bad as the other three."

Rosalie looked defeated as we watched them take a seat at a round table in the opposite corner. "Really?"

"Okay, no," Alice replied with a bitter laugh. "But they've all dated a bunch of girls, made out with them and stuff, but have never slept with any of them. Or so I've heard. Though Jacob has slept with every girl here, I think. I'm pretty sure each one of them has slept with at _least_ three girls."

"Wait, you said he's slept with every girl here?" I eyed her suspiciously.

"I meant it in an exaggerative manner, Bella," Alice sighed, rolling her eyes while I laughed. "That big number doesn't include my name."

"Ah, I see," I said. "They look really…"

"Dominant?" Alice finished again. "Yeah. Everyone bows down to them. Specifically the girls."

"Hmm…" Rosalie sounded thoughtful. "Edward looks kind of hot. I think Emmett is sexier, though. Who cares if he's had a dating history? Emmett can't be _that_ bad."

Alice looked at her with an incredulous expression. "Actually, it can. Good luck trying to date any of them. They're all cocky jackasses – all of them, both guys and girls. The only reason why those girls are clinging onto their arms is because of how they dress. And that is just nauseating," Alice said indignantly. Then she added quietly, "No matter how good-looking those boys are."

Rosalie looked thought for a minute, and then her eyes lit up.

"Fine, if that's how they like girls dressed," she concluded while she unbuttoned three more buttons of her shirt. It was very, very revealing.

I swallowed. "I don't think you should do this, Rose. We just got here."

Rosalie had dated numerous boys since she was in the eighth grade, and probably had her first time in freshmen year. Kyle, Chris, Casey, Kolbe…and so, so much more. Over the course of her dating history, she _was,_ in fact, searching for Mr. Right, and she'd continuously told me that she wanted a boyfriend who was just as dedicated to her as she would be to him. Emmett, I realized as I stared at the group, couldn't be the one. Just by the way he _looked_ scared the hell out of me.

Alice looked just as horror-struck as me. "Rose…if you're looking for a long-lasting relationship…"

Rosalie smiled at her, a determined look clouding her eyes. "I'm going to make him devoted, whether he likes it or not." She winked at us, and I sighed. Rosalie was determined. Not good.

"Good luck…I suppose…" I muttered uncertainly while she stood up from her seat.

"This is going to be interesting," Alice murmured. Her eyes were now filled with amusement.

Rosalie strutted over to the large group of guys and girls, a small smile on her lips.

"Oh, we need to hear this," Alice laughed. "Listen closely…"

Jacob Black looked startled by the sudden appearance of this new girl, but he quickly composed his expression.

"Can I…help you?" he said curtly, though his eyes trailed eagerly up and down her body.

"Rosalie Swan," she said cordially, holding out a pale hand while everyone – and I mean everyone – watched. "I'm new here. You see, school starts in two days, and I want to get to know the place a little." Alice laughed then, for she had just given us a tour of the whole school. "Do you think any of you guys could show me?" she twirled a blond lock in her fingers and smiled suggestively at Emmett. He smiled back, his brown eyes lustful. I watched as Jessica smacked his cheek with disapproval.

Jacob stared at her suspiciously. "I don't think Jessica would be too happy about that, now would she?" he taunted in a husky voice, sneaking a glance at the girl who I assumed was Jessica. She had curly, brownish-reddish hair that traveled just below her shoulders, and her pale green eyes were pissed.

Rosalie didn't back down. When she wants something, she gets it.

"Ah, but I'm not asking for sweet Jessica, now am I?" she said slyly. She smiled angelically at the girl, who glowered at her.

Rosalie turned back to Jacob, waiting for an answer.

"Miss Swan," he said with a laugh. "Do you think you can date one of us? We don't have a reputation for dating new girls."

"Ah, but you do have a reputation for sleeping with every girl here. Your mother must be so proud."

Jacob's coal black eyes turned hard. He was about to say something, but Rosalie cut him off.

"And I do think I'm capable of dating one of you. Preferably Emmett. It's not my fault you're jealous that I'm not hitting on you instead," Rosalie continued with a faint shrug, cleaning her nails with a bored yet innocent expression. She reminded me of Audrey Hepburn in _Breakfast at Tiffany's_. She smiled up at him while everyone snickered. "Now, last time I checked, I wasn't asking for _your_ permission. I was asking for Emmett's, and thus, I think he should have a say in this."

Before Emmett could respond, Jessica spoke, her voice not as smooth as Rosalie's, but somewhat more nasally.

"Emmett is my boyfriend," she scoffed. "I prefer you don't touch him."

Rosalie's smile was frozen in place while she pressed her palms onto the table, leaning down and probably revealing exactly what she wanted to reveal.

"And I prefer you back off and let Emmett decide," she said sweetly, cocking her head to the side slightly.

Jessica glared at her. "Emmett wouldn't do that, would you Emmy?" she asked, tugging lightly on his muscular arm. Emmett's expression was contorted into one of confusion and inner conflict. His wide, brown eyes were glued on Rosalie.

Rosalie glared at Jessica, the smile completely gone from her face. Her inner bitch was coming, I could tell.

"Listen, Stanley." Ah, there it is. "I was Queen Bee of every school I've been to since the sixth grade, so I suggest you shut up. I highly doubt _you_ hold that position."

"Actually, that would be me," another nasally voice called from the entrance. I heard some guys groan, while others whistled.

"Oh, lovely, it's Lauren Mallory," Alice muttered under her breath, her eyes hard and bleak.

Sandy blond hair flowing relentlessly, a fake tan, a short denim skirt, unnaturally high heels, and a skimpy top made this girl look like a slut. Literally. I wondered how she managed to wear that in early November, even though the heater _was_ on. She strutted over to Rosalie and nearly shoved her out of the way, plopping lightly onto Jacob's lap and wrapping her arms around his neck.

She looked at Rosalie. "Can I help you with something, new girl?"

Rosalie looked pissed, but quickly composed her expression. "I'm sorry. Are you lost? The line of hookers is that way." Rosalie pointed to the entrance with a serious look on her face.

Alice let out a low chuckle just as stifled laughter rang through the cafeteria. I noticed Edward laugh but suddenly cover his mouth with his hand, muffling it. Emmett chuckled too, and Jasper coughed to cover up his giggle. Rosalie looked proud of herself, and she snuck a quick glance with Emmett.

"Listen, bitch," Lauren hissed in her nasally voice as she got onto her feet. Next to each other, both girls looked similar yet so different. Lauren's dirty blond hair flowed in a perfectly straight line, while Rosalie smooth blond hair flowed in elegant waves. Rosalie had pale skin compared to Lauren's nearly orange to red skin. They were the same height with the heels, and they both looked about ready to murder each other.

Lauren glared, and I was aware that everyone in the cafeteria was still watching. "Girls like you are such a pain to deal with, but I can deal with you. You're just a-wanna-but-never-will-be. Not here at CP."

Rosalie crossed her arms across her chest. "Oh, I think I can do it."

Lauren crossed her arms too. "I don't. In case you haven't noticed, I _own _this school."

"Did your daddy buy it?" Rosalie raised an eyebrow at her. Lauren didn't respond. "I didn't think so. You can own the whole male population for all I care, but I refuse to have you break my seventh year at being the leader of a school. It's what I'm known for."

"We'll see about that. Buh-bye." Lauren waved her fingers at Rosalie.

My sister smiled sweetly. "We will." She winked at Emmett, and then glanced back at Lauren, her expression completely somber. "By the way, I have a special skin cream for severe sunburns. I was going to lend it to you, but apparently you think you look better this way." With a dazzling smile and a flick of her hair, Rosalie walked back to us, a smug expression on her face.

The talking resumed again, loud and clear. Loud laughter was heard from Lauren's table.

"Wow, Rose, didn't know you had it in you," Alice congratulated with a bright smile as she finished the last bits of her dinner.

"Oh please, this is just the beginning," Rosalie said. "She doesn't know what she's dealing with."

"A blond version of Blaire Waldorf, I suppose," I replied with a small smile.

Rosalie nodded, taking a sip of her water before speaking. "Blaire Waldorf verses Regina George."

--  
**WHATD YOU GUYS THINK?! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!  
LOL. the pickup line i got from the internet. i crackedup when i saw it. :P**

**hmm..i sure hope that last line made sense. you know, blaire is THE queen, she HAS to be the queen and WANTS to be queen, while regina george, in this case, lauren, IS queen. you get it? ad jacob is king. obviously. and then tanya and edward and all those peoples ar elike little senators and stufs LOL. its like government! :P**

**anyway, review, and happy new year :D lots oflove! good bye 2008...HELLO 2009 :)**


	3. Lunchtime is my Favorite Time of Day

**Chapter 2 peoples. :D i actually spent like half the day revising the rest of the story, and this chapter turned out way longer than i expected T-T its not one of my favorites, but had to be done to emphasize some things. i hope you guys like it! and omgosh...school... :O  
**

**btw, iuve never been to a boarding school, so imma use the one in this story like a college campus. never been to college either, or even high school D: so bear with me, please. also, read the authors note at the bottom xD  
**

**review please :)**

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**CHAPTER 2 – Lunchtime is my Favorite Time of Day**

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

I groaned and threw my arm over my eyes.

"Make it stop…" I whined, but the treacherous beeping wouldn't stop. I rolled over in bed and pulled the pillow over my head, the annoying sound somewhat quieter.

"BELLA!" Alice's shrill voice rang next to me.

I jumped and threw the pillow at who knows where, jerkily sitting up to find little Alice lying beside me, a wide grin on her face. Her hair was sticking up in a million places, and even in purple flannel pajamas with cute little penguins, she managed to look like a supermodel.

"You need to get ready for school, Bella!" Alice sang as she reached over and turned off the alarm, her eyes bright and cheerful.

I rubbed my sleepy eyes and glanced at the clock, and then inwardly smacked my forehead.

"Alice, it's 5:45. School doesn't start until seven!" I complained, falling back onto the bed and finding the nearest pillow to pull over my head.

"True. But girls need time to get ready," Alice said matter-of-factly.

I mumbled something incoherent.

I felt completely drained. Yesterday's shopping trip was truly a fatigue. We spent the entire day at the mall and nearby shops, looking for furniture and clothing. Endlessly clothing. Alice helped decorate my and Rosalie's room, and I have to say, she has a good eye for designing. And now, my closet is completely full with a lot of things I never had before. I mean, sure, Rosalie and I are rich, but I was never the one to buy heavy designer clothing besides Abercrombie & Fitch or Hollister, and then an occasional Forever 21. That was my limit…until yesterday.

"Go shower, Bella!" Alice chirped as she pulled the pillow off my face. "Wear something we bought yesterday. Can't look bad on your first day of school!"

"First day of boarding school," I corrected.

Alice rolled her eyes and headed out the door. "Rosalie…" she sang.

I grabbed a pair of jeans and a red v-neck and headed to the adjoining bathroom. After my shower, I pulled on the outfit and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My brown hair was similar to Medusa's, except it was soaking wet and sticking out in a trillion places.

I put on my hazel-colored contacts and then stared at my reflection again. There, something that made me different from ordinary. The contacts covered up my true eye color, chocolate brown. In truth, I hated the brown – so average, like me. _Rosalie has brown eyes, too, but she somehow manages to look gorgeous_, I thought with a pierce of dismay.

I shook my head and began to untangle the mess I call hair, taking one lock at a time and trying to get rid of the knots. When I'd managed to fix my hair, I left it down and walked out of the bathroom.

Grabbing my backpack and schedule, I left my bedroom and walked into the kitchen, where Alice was bouncing around making breakfast. Rosalie sat at the island counter with her eyes closed, her forehead pressed to the surface of the counter.

"Good morning," I said, glancing at the clock and yawning tiredly.

Rosalie said something inaudible.

I looked at Alice. "It's 6:35," I mumbled as I dropped my backpack onto the floor.

Alice smirked, and then her eyes widened. "What are you _wearing?!_"

I looked down at my outfit. "Hmm…oh gee, I don't know…clothes?"

In a split second, Alice was dragging me back to my bedroom. She rummaged through my closet and completely redid my outfit. Soon enough, I was in a pair of dark blue, tight-fitting jeans and a purple blouse with big, long necklaces around my neck. Alice gave a satisfied huff.

Eventually, we made our way back to the kitchen, and Alice was standing nearby the stove again.

"What are you making?" I asked Alice.

"Omelet," she replied, not looking up while she poured the freshly sliced ham pieces into a bowl.

I nodded and began to fry the eggs while Alice chopped up tomatoes.

"So, what's your first period?" Alice asked casually.

"Err..." I frowned, trying to remember. "Oh! Spanish with Ms. Fernandez," I replied. "La clase de Español," I said, attempting to imitate a Spanish accent.

Rosalie and Alice burst out laughing, and I followed in after.

"What's after?" Alice asked. Rosalie got up to get us orange juice.

"Uh…" I began, thinking back. "Ugh, stop asking me all these difficult questions!" I exclaimed in mock annoyance as I dashed over to my backpack and pulled out my schedule. Alice just laughed and took a huge bite out of her breakfast.

"Okay, second period History with Ms. Meyers." Alice looked like she was going to speak again, but I cut her off, assuming her next question. "Third period English and Literature with Mr. K. Fourth period is Trigonometry with Mr. Jacobsen, fifth period is Biology with Mr. Banner, sixth period is creative writing with Ms. Evans, and seventh period is PE with…" I skimmed the page. "Coach Clapp."

Alice looked thoughtful. "Hmm…interesting," she muttered, more to herself. "We have two classes together. Biology and PE!"

Rosalie looked up from her meal, her eyes bright, too. "Wait, last period is PE? Same," she replied with a smile. "I just have a different teacher – Coach Radnor."

"Nice," I replied with a grin. Then I looked at the block again. "6:56. We should get going."

-------o-------

The moment I entered the actual school building, I could already envision the day ahead. Tons of giggling, pointing, and jeering from those overly beautiful and good-looking blondes and brunettes, Asians and Caucasians all rolled into one. Those stupid pretty people.

I snuck a nervous glance at my schedule.

"Spanish, room 200," I murmured to myself as I gazed around the hallway, trying to remember what Alice had told me.

The warning bell rang for homeroom/first period.

"Oh, got to go!" Alice chirped jubilantly. "I've got History first. See you guys later." She danced through the hallways and out of sight.

"First class?" I asked Rosalie.

She sighed. "AP Econ," she muttered. "Room 801. I need to get going now," she said with a half smile. "By the way, we're going to Panera Bread for lunch. We'll meet you at the quad area." She waved and walked passed me.

I took a deep breath, ignoring the still curious stares. I mean, I'd already been here for two days. You'd think people would get their daily doze of staring.

I arrived in my first period and plopped into an empty seat just as the bell rang to begin. After the early morning announcements, Ms. Fernandez began her lesson, and I was thankful she didn't introduce me to the entire class. _That_ would have been embarrassing. However, there was still a couple lingering stares.

I got through first period easily knowing everything – we'd already learned it back in Forks High.

I pulled out my schedule and examined it with a sigh. "History. Room 604. Where the heck is that?" I glanced around with a perplexed expression.

"Hi," a bright voice said. I jumped and turned around, finding the same boy that had used a pick-up line on Rosalie two nights ago.

"Um, hi," I said with a somewhat surprised expression.

"Do you have a band-aid?" he asked seriously.

I cocked my head to the side and fumbled with my jean pockets. "Uh…err…I – I don't –"

"Because I just scraped my knee falling for you," he continued.

"Ha," I said nervously. "Good one." I forced a grin.

He laughed, his blue eyes filled with humor. "Mike Newton." He held out a milky white hand.

"Bella," I said in response as I shook his hand. How did everyone know my real name? Rosalie must have told.

"Oh, well, Bella," he said with half a grin, holding my hand longer than necessary. "What's your next class? I'd love to show you around."

"Um…" I glanced at my watch and realized we had two minutes left to get to class. "Sure. I have history with Ms. Meyers. Do you know where that is?"

Mike grinned. "'Course. C'mon."

He gestured for me to follow, chatting happily abut this and that while I nodded politely. In record time, I made it to class one minute before the bell.

"Thanks," I said wholeheartedly as I walked into the class. "Hurry, though," I added with genuine concern, and I forced a smile. "You're going to be late for your next class."

Mike's smile widened. "This _is_ my next class."

My smile froze. "Oh, well, o-oh. Um. Okay." I spun around, frowned, and walked off in the opposite direction. I was vaguely aware that he was following me, and completely aware that he took the seat right next to me the moment the bell rang.

"Um, don't you have an assigned seat?" I asked.

He shrugged. "She let's us choose."

A second after he spoke, a tall, blond-haired lady walked into the room, a solemn expression on her face.

"Good morning, class. I'd like to begin this period with a pop quiz…"

Everyone groaned, and I just sighed. Pop quizzes stink.

The quiz was relatively easy, at least for me, although some questions I was stumped on. I watched as Mike tumbled a few times as he fumbled for the answer in his mind.

"U-um…" he said, his eyebrows scrunching together as his blue eyes moved nervously to my face every few seconds. I realized my staring did not make things any easier, so I looked away the moment another person raised their hand.

"Yes, Angela?"

"War of 1812," a brown-haired girl said quietly.

"Correct," Ms. Meyers replied.

The rest of the period dragged on normally, and I moved to my next period…English.

Mike offered to walk with me, and I agreed. Turns out, English wasn't so far away from history – that was a good thing.

The next thing I knew, it was lunchtime.

I was surprised to see Mike standing at the doorway of my trig class, leaning against the doorway casually with a grin.

"Hey, Bella," he said, nodding his head.

"Hi, Mike," I replied. Girls snickered as they passed by.

"Ready for lunch? We're going to Mastro's Steakhouse. Want to come?"

"Oh, well, um…I'm actually going somewhere with other people," I said as politely as I could while I exited the building and walked into the quad. I saw Alice and Rosalie waiting by a tree ten yards away.

Mike frowned. "Oh. Well, we can sit together tomorrow."

My mind went haywire at the idea. "No! I mean, sure. Yeah. Wait, no. I'm going out to lunch at with Alice and Rose tomorrow."

Mike looked sad now. "Oh, okay."

"Sorry," I said sympathetically.

Mike shrugged. "It's fine, I suppose." Then he frowned. "What is Alice like? I hear she's some freak. Jessica and Tanya say she is such a wannabe."

I couldn't prevent the glare that formed on my face, and my response startled him. "For your information, Alice is _not_ a freak. She is a perfectly happy, bubbly girl and I like her very much," I said stiffly.

Mike stared at me for a moment while I exhaled. "I'll see you tomorrow?" I said calmly. Poor guy, he really was the nicest person I've met so far, besides Alice, and I was being all mean to him. But really, Alice is such a nice, quirky girl. She doesn't deserve to be teased.

He nodded warily. "Bye, Bella." With a wave, he turned on his heel and took off in the opposite direction.

When I met up with Rosalie and Alice, Alice was laughing, and Rosalie was glaring at Mike.

"That bastard," she grumbled while we began walking. "Did he use a pick-up line on you, Bella?" she asked with a panicked expression.

"Nooo…no of course not…"

Rosalie looked horrified, and brought her hands up to both of her cheeks. "Oh no! Not you too!"

I laughed rigidly. "He's nice once you get to know him, though."

"I'm sure," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes as we passed through the parking lot.

"Holy crap, whose car is this?" I gasped as I stared at the bright yellow Porsche. We had actually gone shopping in my Mercedes. Never before had I seen a Porsche _this_ yellow or glossy.

I heard the tinkling of keys as Alice dangled them. "Mine," she said smugly. "But you have a Mercedes. Still pretty damn good."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Shut up, Bella," she grinned. "It's not like we're using it. Panera Bread is across the street. I just have the need for speed," she winked and grabbed both my and Rosalie's hand, tugging us toward the sidewalk.

When we entered the large restaurant, it was thronged with many students.

"I'll get us a table," Alice called, and she disappeared as hordes of students filed in.

Rosalie and I got in the line, which wasn't too long – yet. We ordered three turkey sandwiches and three drinks, and while we waited for our order, the place crowded up. Eventually, it started feeling rather warm and stuffy.

"Oh, our order's up," Rosalie said lightly. She walked over to the pick-up counter and handed me two plates. She took the third one and the three cups, and then she walked over to the drinking fountain.

"Coke," I said. She nodded and proceeded on getting us drinks.

We looked around the restaurant for Alice, but I couldn't find her through the loud talking and many people standing in the way.

"Uh oh," I heard Rosalie say. I looked at her, but she wasn't looking at me. She was looking over to her right, her lips pressed into a thin line. I followed her gaze and swallowed. "That Lauren. I swear I will –"she let out a string of profanities instead of finishing her sentence and stalked off toward the table with me trailing behind.

Rosalie shoved through Lauren's group of girls, nearly threw the food onto the table, and spun around to glare at them.

"What the hell is your problem?" she hissed, staring directly at Lauren.

I set the rest of the lunch on the table and glanced at Alice, who was fuming. Her hands were clenched and her face was red.

"This is _our_ table," Lauren said in her nasally voice.

"Did your d-"

"No, but we _always_ sit here," Lauren said. "Now tell your dwarf bitch to move."

"She is no 'dwarf bitch.' She's Alice, and she's my friend," Rosalie snapped.

"I'm sorry, what?" Lauren said, feigning confusion. Then she looked at Alice with a shocked expression. "Alice? Alice makes friends?" she gasped in skepticism, her jaw dropping. The girls standing behind her snickered.

"Well, document this moment," Lauren continued. She pretended to scribble something onto her hand. "Blondie wannabe and ugly shy girl become dwarf bitch's new friends. November 3, 2008."

Rosalie was furious now, too, and so was I.

"Alice, I really am surprised," Lauren taunted. "I mean, your brother progressed so much faster than you. I was actually sort of disappointed that you didn't join our group. You'd have been perfect." Her brother?

"And yet you make fun of me," Alice squeaked.

Lauren shrugged. "Everyone who's _not_ in our group has _something_ wrong with them. Not my fault you chose this lifestyle instead."

"It's not –"

"Stop trying to ask for permission to join again. Jakey and the rest of us are perfectly content on our own," Lauren interrupted dramatically. Alice glared.

"Shut. Up," Rosalie hissed. I couldn't find my voice.

"Aww…I made sweet Rosalie _mad!_ Can Miss Swan not envy me so much?" Lauren pretended to pout.

"Envy is a big word," Alice muttered. "Especially for you, Lauren. Four letters, document this moment," she quoted with a scowl.

Lauren laughed a fake, high-pitched laugh. "Just move over, bitches. Find somewhere else to sit."

"_Or_ you can sit outside," I grumbled, too low for her to hear. Unfortunately, she heard me, for her head snapped in my direction. I stared at the floor in humiliation. The whole situation was overall stupid.

"Ah, you," she said, taking a step closer as the rest of the group watched. "Isabella Swan, I hear. So plain compared to her sister," she noted. She fingered a lock of my hair. "Brown. So ordinary."

Then she lifted up my chin and examined my face.

"Heart-shaped face. Hazel eyes," she added. "Too plain, much too plain." My fingernails clawed at the long sleeves of my jacket. I mean, at least I had hazel eyes and not brown eyes. Hazel really was the only color that would work for me. "You look kinda fun to manipulate," Lauren said. "If I didn't know, I would never have assumed you guys were sisters. I mean, look at yourself."

I stared down at my outfit – shirt and jeans. It seemed decent, at least to me. And then I thought of my face, and then imagined Lauren's, Tanya's, Rosalie's, and Alice's faces.

Yet, I still managed to have a comeback. "Me? Have you looked in a mirror lately?" I snapped, surprised by the aggressiveness in my voice. "I mean, at least I don't dress like a whore."

Ah crap, what have I gotten myself into?

"She does _not_ dress like a whore," Jacob countered, suddenly appearing and snaking his arm around Lauren's waist. I watched Edward, Emmett, and Jasper take their places beside their girlfriends. It was like a movie, to be honest, how graceful they moved and how tight of a group they appeared to be.

"'Course she doesn't," Alice scoffed, crossing her arms across her chest. I was startled by her sudden fury. "For you it wouldn't matter! I'm pretty sure you go at it every night anyway. For you it's probably like saving time!" Alice exclaimed childishly. Everyone in the other group just laughed, mocking her.

Alice ignored it. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a lunch to eat. So you can get your fudging asses out of my face, or I swear, I will stick my fist up every single one of your damn noses." Her voice was icy and cold.

Rosalie and I gawked at the fuming little pixie, and even Jacob and his group looked shocked.

They hesitated for a moment before Lauren spoke.

"I don't know who you think you are but you –"

"Leave," Rosalie said.

Lauren was about to protest again, but a low, deep voice interrupted her.

"Lauren," he said. It was the big, muscular, brown-haired boy with curly hair – Emmett.

Edward glanced behind me, and I followed his gaze to find Alice sitting on a chair at a table, both of her hands covering her face.

We both looked at each other then, and his lips were pressed into a thin, unhappy line, his jaw taut. I stared at him and he stared back, his eyes sad, confused, and angry at the same time.

It seemed it took all of his effort to walk forward to Jacob and Lauren. He glanced back at me, and something in my expression probably told him to get him and his friends out of the restaurant, which, by the way, was so, so crowded now.

"Lauren," he said in his silky voice. Warning was clear. He tugged on her tanned arm.

Lauren glared at Rosalie, who only looked back with her own scowl. After another second or two of nonstop scowling, Lauren walked away, and the rest of the group followed. When they were finally gone, Rosalie looked back at us.

She sighed, closed her eyes, and shook her head.

-------o-------

"Okay, so let me get this straight," I said as Rosalie waved and headed off to her fifth period class. "Edward is your brother."

Alice nodded firmly. "Edward Anthony Cullen – my lovely brother," she said sarcastically.

"And you guys aren't blood-related?"

"Nah," Alice muttered while we walked to biology. "Carlisle and Esme adopted him. Then, they adopted me."

"Oh," I replied. "And you didn't tell us this before because –?"

"You never asked," she said defensively.

I rolled my eyes at her, and she just chuckled stiffly.

"Okay, are you _sure_ you're alright, Alice?" I asked, putting my hands on her shoulders.

Alice nodded and smiled. "I feel loads better now," she said a little too innocently. I stared at her suspiciously. "Bells, don't worry about me. Worry about yourself more. Mr. Banner _always_ introduces new students." She sent me an apologetic glance before taking her seat at the side of the room.

I sighed and glanced around the room in search of an empty seat.

"Bella!" a familiar voice called.

I turned around and found Mike waving furiously at me with a bright grin on his face.

I smiled and waved back, and then quickly looked away.

Not sure where to sit, I walked over to Mr. Banner's desk and found a chubby man in his late forties with graying brown hair and glasses. He was looking down at some newspaper article, and I assumed he was Mr. Banner.

"Hi, I'm Isabella Swan," I said, ending it more like a question. Mr. Banner looked up, adjusted his glasses, and smiled.

"Hello, Isabella," he said just as the bell rang. "Just one minute, please." He opened one of his desk drawers, put the newspaper away, and then he pulled out another piece of paper, which seemed to be the seating assignment.

"Ah, I see. Swan," he murmured to himself. "Oh, you're in that back seat over there." He gestured towards the back corner of the lab.

I looked back around and sighed. First, Edward Cullen was sitting in the chair right beside mine, staring out the window. Second, Alice was sitting two seats away, writing furiously in a notebook. I saw her sneak a glance at Edward. And third, well, same reason as the first.

"Oh, um, alright," I said quietly.

Mr. Banner chuckled and stood up in his seat.

"Class, we have a new student," he said. Then he looked at me encouragingly. "Go ahead, introduce yourself."

I nearly died from humiliation while I told the class my name, and how I wanted to be called Bella rather than Isabella, and then I nearly fell flat on my face as I made my way over to the seat next to Edward.

As I passed by some of the counters, I noticed Jessica and Tanya sitting side-by-side, snickering and whispering to each other while sneaking a couple glances (Tanya mostly gave glares) in my direction.

I sighed and put my books on the table. It must've been surprising, for Edward looked startled by my sudden appearance. He looked my way with a shocked expression, gave me a nod, and glanced thoughtfully out the window again.

Well, I could see he was going to be my lab partner.

"Alright, class, onion root cells," he said. "Find the cell stage of mitosis, and fill in the blanks on your worksheet. Get right on it, folks, you have forty-five minutes and I know some of you can get pretty distracted." He glanced pointedly at Edward, who didn't seem to notice.

About two minutes later, all the microscopes and specimens were passed out to each lab pair.

I glanced at Edward, who hadn't even budged from his position the entire time. He looked like a Greek statue, the way he stared blankly ahead of him, his right hand tucked under his jaw and his left arm resting lightly against the table. He was so still…so motionless. And so _beautiful_, if that was the right word. His lids were slightly drooped, and I noticed the thick, dark set of lashes that bordered his eyes. Up close, the emerald color in his irises was strikingly green, piercing even. The bluish veins that penetrated through his pale skin were clearly visible, his fingers long like that of a pianist. I had the urge to reach out and run my fingertips along the skin of his hand, just to see how it felt.

My eyes traced the spectacular angle of his jaw, marveled at how perfect the shape of his nose was, and stayed fixedly on the full shape of his pink lips. He had the _perfect_ features – perfect inheritance. I could only imagine how attractive his biological parents were.

"Miss Swan, I assume you have completed your assignment?" I jumped, snapping out of my reverie while people around laughed at me. Edward seemed to snap out of his vegetative state then, for his eyes moved to me, and then to Mr. Banner.

"Oh, um..." I mumbled uncertainly.

"We'll get right on it, sir," Edward said immediately, flashing a breathtaking smile.

Mr. Banner rolled his eyes and continued patrolling down the isles, mumbling something incoherent under his breath.

"Thanks," I breathed when he was gone.

"No problem," Edward replied with a soft smile. He ran his hand through his messy auburn hair and smiled wider.

I stared down at my lap in humiliation. "We really should get started," I mumbled.

Edward chuckled beside me. He slipped the specimen onto the slide and held it under the microscope. "Ladies first, I suppose."

I grinned sheepishly at him and peered through the lens.

"Prophase," I replied, writing it down on the worksheet.

Edward stared at me speculatively. "Do you mind if I look?"

"No, go ahead," I said, shoving the microscope in his direction. I knew I was right, at least this time.

"Prophase," he agreed as he wrote it down, too. I snuck a glance at his paper and inwardly sighed. Even for a boy, he had better handwriting than I did.

Edward slipped the next slide under the microscope and peered through the lens. "Anaphase," he murmured.

"Do you mind if I check?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Sure." He pushed the microscope towards me, and I examined the cell.

"Anaphase," I muttered rather reluctantly.

He only chuckled again.

The rest of the period went on like that, us passing it back and forth between each other and calling out the stages while switching specimens and all that. Relatively easy for me, and it seemed just as simple for him. Eventually, we finished the lab with fifteen minutes to spare.

Edward gazed out the window again, and I stared at him, though not as conspicuously this time. His eyes were so thoughtful, and his expression was so focused. I really wanted to talk to him, to find out what was running through that mind of his.

I spent the next five minutes rambling conversation-starters in my head. In the end, I concluded with the weather, the lab, and the lunch menu for tomorrow. There was no way in hell I was going to talk about lunch _today_, which was a perfect way to kick off the beginning of school for me, heavy pun intended.

I looked around the room nervously, finding that everyone was still working on their labs and peering through microscopes. Some glanced nervously at the clock while they fumbled with the specimens, while others were arguing over which was which. I noticed Tanya sparing a couple glances in my direction every now and then, probably watching to make sure I wasn't doing anything…out of the ordinary…with her boyfriend. I tried to reassure her with a look; I didn't even have the courage to ask him about the _weather,_ and that itself was just pitiful.

"Have you ever wanted to go back in time?" Edward suddenly said. At first, I wasn't sure whether he was asking me or not until he looked at me with a curious expression.

"Um…" I started. This was really random. "Yeah. All the time," I replied truthfully, still startled by his sudden urge to talk to me, not that I minded.

He nodded and gazed out the window again.

"Me too," he said, looking back at me with a lopsided grin. Although it was forced, it still made my heart melt. _Why is he so good-looking?_

We locked eyes for a moment.

"Um, well, is there any particular reason as to why you're telling me this?" I asked, trying to say it gently. "Because I am a really confused person." That was a definitely true statement.

He gave a strained laugh. "No reason," he said smoothly. "Just pondering the realities of life."

He looked back out the window for the rest of the period, indicating that he would say no more on the subject, and I didn't ask. I really was confused.

The rest of the day flew by in a breeze, and I got through English with a sigh as we learned about Shakespeare. I knew everything there was to know about the classics. PE came around, too, and Alice and I changed in the locker rooms, exchanging a couple words with Angela, the girl from my history class. We played basketball, unfortunately, and I couldn't help but notice how lithe Alice was when she dribbled and shot baskets, her aim precise and exact. I, however, somehow managed to throw the ball at Alice's head, trip, and knock Angela over all in one attempt to score a point. I sat out the rest of the period while Alice balanced an ice pack on her head and Angela sat with a book on her lap, a cast on her newly fractured knee.

While we sat on the bleachers in the gym, it was rather amusing to find Rosalie and Lauren in the same PE class; fate was really toying with them. Coach Radnor's class played volleyball, and Rosalie and Lauren were on opposing teams. Rosalie used her height to her advantage, spiking the ball directly at Lauren's blond head. Lauren in turn unsuccessfully tried to bump and spike at Rosalie, the both of them glaring daggers at each other. It was actually kind of fun to watch.

"Well, you looked like you were going to murder her if the ball _wouldn't_," Alice complimented lightly to Rosalie as we walked across the campus back to the dorms.

"Probably," Rosalie replied matter-of-factly. "It sucks that the people on her team were so good," she sighed. "If they weren't there, Lauren would be in the ER right now, suffering from a concussion. That would be nice."

"You're so vindictive," I mumbled as Rosalie nodded.

"Hi," a voice said. All three of us turned around and saw two guys, one Asian and one African-American. "You must be Rosalie and Isabella Swan." It was the Asian boy that spoke, completely ignoring Alice, who stood beside me.

"Hi," Rosalie said.

"Eric Yorkie, pleasure to meet you," the Asian boy said, holding out a hand. "This here, is Tyler Crowley. We heard about what happened in PE. Stanley" – he jabbed a thumb in the direction behind him –"told the world and tried to make it look like Lauren was a heroine. She's a junior, you know, and bows down to the oh-so-powerful Mallory."

"Huh," I replied with a nod.

Tyler laughed. "People say that once Lauren leaves, Jessica is going to take over. But I'm afraid that may be changed…" Tyler looked at me with a grin. "Tyler Crowley, nice to meet you, Isabella," he said, taking my hand and kissing it.

Alice giggled beside me.

"Call me Bella," I said as the color flooded my cheeks.

"You look beautiful as ever, Bella," Tyler crowed dramatically, and I blushed even more. "And only beautiful girls can be a Queen."

Emmett, Edward, and Jasper passed by us, and when they saw us five, they laughed.

"Wow, you go Tyler," Emmett cooed.

Tyler laughed, let go of my hand and high-fived him.

Rosalie forced a rigid smile, looking at Emmett. "You…you guys are friends. Ha."

"Just buds," Emmett replied. "Yorkie here is our friend too."

Edward smiled at Tyler. "Keep that up, man, and you'll be a part of our group in no time." He pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket and handed it to Tyler, who grinned and took it merrily.

Alice shot a glare at Edward, her eyes narrowing with anger. Edward, however, just grinned at her with an amused expression before punching Emmett playfully on the shoulder.

"Bastard," Alice muttered with clenched teeth, still staring directly at her older brother.

Edward turned to look at her, and his jaw was taut, his eyes hard. They stared at each other, just full out glaring, while I watched apprehensively.

"Edward, let's go," Jasper said, tugging on his jacket sleeve. Edward either didn't notice or didn't care.

"Edward, c'mon man," Emmett said, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him away.

Edward looked solemnly at Alice for a few more moments, before turning and walking away.

"Dude, let it go," Emmett said, shaking Edward's shoulder as they headed in the opposite direction.

Edward glared up at him and shook his hand off. "Dammit you don't understand!" he nearly growled. "She's got these damn issues…"

"Edward –" Jasper murmured.

Edward silenced him with a heavy sigh. He turned around and stared at me, his angry eyes turning softer, gentler. For a moment, his emerald eyes seemed to be pleading with mine. Pleading for something. Then, they turned apologetic and guilty. I cocked my head to the side, trying to read his expression but failing miserably. His gaze moved from Alice's glare back to my confused expression, and then he shook his head and disappeared through the doors of the dorm building.

I was standing there, staring as the door closed, completely and utterly lost. Again.

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**is it good? i hope so. maybe it was corny. xD feeling kinda iffed on this one. D: and aobut the edward alice relationship, it will be more emphasized later. dude...i hope that doesnt seem too much like wtda??!? o.o  
**

**anyway, about jacob being loyal: honestly, i have no idea whether hes going to become good. he might end up with lauren, i have no idea. havent gotten that far yet. on rosalie being bitchy, persoinally, its fun writing her mean xD BUT. its also a part of her personality right now: shes nice to people she likes, mean to those who dare get in the way of what she wants. and shes determined.**

**anyway, please review! **


	4. The Supportive Biological Sister

**well. chapter 3 peoples! juyst so you know, i made some minor changes. hmm...well, football team instead of basketball team. youll see why later on. also, i added a complete summary and general info on the story all in the preface. check those out if u want.**

**and on how you guys are all confused on edward-alice, dont worry. itll patch up sometime ;)**

**review?  
**

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**CHAPTER 3 – The Supportive Biological Sister**

The days flew by, the weather got colder, and more competition aroused. Students walked around campus huddling with each other, covered in scarves and thicker jackets. Even Lauren managed to wear a coat, but in the school buildings, where the heater was on twenty-four-seven, she wore skimpy tops and shorts. Rosalie and I rarely talked. Mike realized we would be just friends, although he didn't hesitate to snag chances at unnecessary things like walking me to classes and catching me when I tripped (1: I already knew the school hallways by now. 2: Every time he tried to catch me, I would only drag him down to the floor, and the both of us would end up injuring ourselves). Lauren still dominated some girls. Jacob still dominated the guys. Soon it was passed mid-November – three-and-half weeks had gone by.

Rosalie and Lauren argued every day, the both of them being seniors. Apparently, the Elf Dance and Winterfest Dance were coming in late December, and both girls were striving for popularity. Rosalie was flirting with a load of guys to get asked to the Winterfest, but mostly to make Emmett jealous (I think). Each day, I'd wake up in the morning to go to school, and every day, I'd see Rosalie and Lauren strutting towards each other with their own followers, glaring at each other all the while. Every girl with Rosalie hated Lauren, and every girl with Lauren either hated Rosalie or secretly looked up to her, but was too scared to face Lauren's wrath. Every night, Rosalie would rant to Alice and I about how Lauren sucked up to all the teachers, and even flirted with them. We would just listen to her problems and try to be supportive. Eventually, Rosalie kissed up and flirted too.

Also, Rosalie's strong determination for Emmett McCarty was changing her appearance. She wore even more revealing tops now, although she stuck with tight skinny jeans as to not be similar to Lauren, and Emmett really seemed to appreciate it every time Rose would walk by him. Both of the girls pranked each other and tried to get the other into trouble, and in the end, they'd lie about everything.

In fourth period, I'd run into Edward often, and we'd exchange a couple words in greeting. For the rest of the time, not a word would be said to each other, unless we did a lab. I never asked about the "back in time" situation. Unfortunately, we'd finish labs early, and then I'd have extra time to stare at his perfect figure as well as try to get the courage to talk to him. But it was so _difficult._ He intimidated me, to be honest. I felt like I was undeserving, like I wasn't pretty enough to talk to him.

Also, Alice and Edward never spoke a word to each other during classes. Absolutely nothing. They acted like neither person existed, and it made me wonder how Edward could be protective of Alice if he never even spoke to her. They'd walk by each other without a glance and continue on their daily life, completely ignoring their sibling. It confused me, but then again, I was a really confused person.

I walk down the swarming hallway now to the cafeteria, where I was meeting up with Alice for lunch. Mike chatted cheerfully beside me about the upcoming feast for Thanksgiving as well as the Elf Dance, and I nodded and "oohed" when it seemed appropriate.

I pushed open the doors and, after getting some dumplings and lemonade, walked casually to the back corner where I sat on my first night here, loud talking and laughter ringing around the room.

I sat down at the table and glanced at Edward and Tanya, who were making out right in front of their friends. In fact, their friends were cheering them on. I sighed and secretly envied Tanya, too. Her shiny blond hair was so perfect, and she really was the perfect person for Edward. He deserved someone attractive like him, and he got her. _Why does she have to be so freaking pretty?_ I thought irritably.

" – and guys and girls can come in couples. Everyone dresses like elves!" Mike sang brightly.

"Huh," I replied, having no idea what he was talking about. I snapped back to reality. "Uh, what were you saying?"

Mike laughed. "I was saying that the Elf Dance is where people come to school dressed as elves or Santa's and stuff. It happens about a week before Christmas, you know, boost Christmas spirit, and lots of cool events happen. And then the Winterfest Dance is on Christmas Eve. Usually, Lauren" – he nearly spit out her name – "hosts a party at her dorm after." I inwardly groaned – more competition between the two.

"Oh," I replied. "Cool."

"Yep," Mike said. "Well, I'm going to go now," he added brightly as he waved at Angela and Ben. I met those two a couple days ago, and it appears that they're a couple. The both of them were absolutely adorable together, I had to admit. "See you later, Bella."

"Bye, Mike," I said as Alice's little figure appeared at the entrance. She waved at me with a grin and began to maneuver through the tables.

"Hey, Bella," she breathed as she set her backpack down at the table and pulled out a water bottle.

"Hi," I said as I began to eat my lunch. "What's got you so wheezy?"

She giggled as she took a large gulp of her water.

"I was flirting with Jasper," she admitted haughtily after a couple seconds.

I choked. "J-Jasper? Isn't he part of Jacob's gang of –"

"_Yes_," Alice said. "Yes, yes, yes!" she sang brightly. "And he's as sweet and friendly as ever," she continued dreamily as she sat down across from me. "I mean, the way he laughs and occasionally elbows me jokingly…" she trailed on and on about the qualities of Jasper Whitlock.

"Back to about why you were wheezing?" I said impatiently while I picked at my lunch.

Alice giggled and blushed. "Well, I found him outside of my classroom talking to Cassidy, and it looked like they were breaking up. So, after Cassidy walked away – crying and screaming profanities, I might add – I pretended to bump into him and drop my books. Totally cliché, but it worked." Alice took a break to grab a dumpling form my plate, which was perfectly fine by me. "Anyway," she continued, "He picked up my books for me and said in the most beautiful voice, 'hey, you're Alice, right? Edward's younger sister?'" Her blue-green eyes were radiant and glowing. "I said yes and then he laughed the most perfect laugh ever! I asked him what was wrong, and when he didn't respond, I started apologizing. And then…" she continued on and on and on. I did the same thing I did with Mike – nodded and oohed and ahhed when it was necessary. Sure, it wasn't exactly loyal, but as soon as she began the "Well, I found him outside my classroom…" the words flowed endlessly.

" – which by the way, is another way of saying, 'you're so hot.' And therefore, I think he likes me!" Alice concluded proudly. "And after my chat with him, I ran away because I was so embarrassed by his last comment."

"Um, wow," I said, trying to appease her. "You guys were really hitting it off."

Alice nodded fervently. "I really can't wait! I hope he'll ask me out."

I nearly choked on my lunch again. "Um…Alice, I'm not trying to control you're love life or anything," I began nervously. Alice's eyes dulled and her brow furrowed as I continued on. "But isn't Jasper a player? I mean, you said so yourself. He goes from girl to girl like the rest of Jacob's crew. Don't you think he might just use you for the time being, and then toss you away like every other girl?"

"No," Alice shook her head. "I talked to him today, and I seriously feel that he likes me."

"But one day isn't –"

"Look, I'm going to hang out with him a little more to get to know him. I know what you're saying – don't get too hooked yet. I won't, I promise," Alice said genuinely. She glanced at her watch. "Ah, got to get lunch." She flashed me a quick smile before heading off to get in line.

I sighed and put my arms on the table, resting my chin on top of my arms and gazing around the cafeteria. I was pretty relaxed since it was a Friday. No homework this weekend.

To my left I could see Jacob and Lauren making out now, along with Emmett and Jessica. Really, are they not considerate enough to at least do it where there are no people watching? I sighed again. I should be used to it by now, but I'm not.

I circled the room with my eyes, and the table next to Jacob's was Lauren's. Her girl friends were watching Jacob's table, laughing and cheering them on too. They were like Lauren clones, to be honest. All brunettes and blondes with too much make-up and much too skimpy clothing.

Two tables away from Lauren's was Rosalie's, a new addition. Before that, it was just a couple of sophomores, freshmen, and juniors who were "middle class." And now, they were the popular eye candy of all the Lauren-hating guys, thanks to Rosalie's ingenious mind. I watched as she filed her nails while girls adored her long blond hair, silky and soft as the hair of a _Garnier Frutis_ model, and marveled at her perfect body and perfect skin, probably ascertaining ways to look just the same. They gushed at her clothes and make-up, and giggled and laughed with each other. Had that group always been that big?

I stared at Rosalie's table a moment longer. I shouldn't be saying this, for it wasn't the first time, but this _hurt_. It really, really did. I stared at Rosalie's image of perfection, which earned her the popularity and honor of Lauren-haters. And I imagined myself in my mind, Plain Jane. It frustrated me that I couldn't look like her, and I was her biological sister. It made me angry at myself that I should be supporting her, for I was her biological sister. I should be happy for her, but I wasn't. Instead, I felt a strange surge of anger. And I was supposed to be her supportive, loving, adorable biological sister.

I wasn't that, though, I realized as I fast-forwarded the events of the past weeks. The pranks on Lauren, the pranks on me, Alice, and Rosalie, the flirting with Emmett, the sucking up to teachers, the bribing – everything. Rosalie was becoming Queen Bee in a span of one month, I could see it already, and I knew that deep down, Lauren knew it too. But she wouldn't admit that with her self-centered ego. Rosalie could smell and easy win now, and I could too.

My thoughts on Rosalie only led to Lauren now, that egotistical, self-absorbed senior. I thought back to lunch three and a half weeks ago, trying to remember exactly what she'd said about Alice:

_Alice? Alice makes friends?_ I remembered her shocked expression, and I knew it was meant to be sardonic. _Document this moment. _I frowned and looked at Alice's bouncy, happy figure standing in line and grabbing a bunch of food onto her tray. Her quirkiness and optimism made her extremely friendly. Was it because she was untrustworthy? I shook my head at the thought. I'd told Alice a million things already, and not one word had slipped from her lips. But what could have made Lauren so shocked that Alice could make friends? She certainly wasn't annoying or boring like the ones I'd had to face. And she was gorgeous, so why didn't any guys like her, at least that we're not aware of? Did she never make an effort to make friends? I was once again confused by a Cullen.

"Was the Trig test hard?" Alice asked suddenly as she sat down on the bench. I snapped out of my thoughts to respond.

"It was fine," I assured her. "Just beware of the last few. And Alice, could you tell me something?"

Alice nodded cheerfully. "What is it, Bella?" she asked as she began to nibble on her lasagna.

I froze, not sure where to start or how to say this nicely. "Um, well, what-what um–" I stopped. Was this really necessary? I chickened out. "When was the last time you talked to your brother?" I blurted. Not what I'd intended, but something I was also curious about. "Like a real conversation."

Alice swallowed and put her fork down, staring up at me impassively.

"Excluding the times I ran into him and his group?" she asked, her tone solemn as I nodded.

She gave a small, rueful smile. "The first day I came here."

-------o-------

"Happy Thanksgiving!" Alice sang brightly as she popped onto my bed still in her pajamas, although her hair was perfectly styled.

I mumbled something incoherently.

"C'mon, Bells, we need to go downstairs for breakfast! Today's Saturday! Awesome, right? Oh, we can totally go shopping, have a makeover, rob Edward's dorm…"

I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes, glancing at the clock. I sighed – quarter 'til 9.

"Get out so I can change," I mumbled, rubbing my eyes again and trying to focus my vision.

I heard Alice gasp.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, her jaw dropping. "You have _brown_ eyes."

"Good job, Captain Obvious," I teased as I jumped out of bed.

She giggled. "Really, Bella, I've never seen you with brown eyes before. How come?" She looked thoughtful.

"Um…" I murmured while I dug through my drawers. "You never paid attention?"

Alice nodded fervently. "Yes, yes, that's one scenario. OH. Another one would be that I never went through your make-up kit."

"Alice, I don't wear make-up," I said, shaking my head. Alice gave me a horrified expression, and I quickly added, "With the exception of eyeliner, mascara, and eye shadow. I don't go hardcore like Rose. Speaking of which, is she in her bedroom?"

Alice sighed. "Nope. I went to annoy her before you," she said with a pout. "She wasn't in her room. No note, nothing. I don't even think she came home last night."

"Huh," I replied while I stepped into the bathroom. "Where was she before?"

Alice shrugged. "I don't know…maybe replacing Lauren's face wash with shaving cream," Alice giggled, and I laughed. "I would really like to see that, though," Alice replied thoughtfully.

I laughed again. "Hey, don't become ingenious like Rosalie," I scolded playfully. "Now get out, sis. Gotta shower."

After I pulled on an Abercrombie sweater, a pair of denims, and my contacts, I sighed and ran the brush through my damp hair a couple times. I stared down at the stick of mascara. I didn't wear make-up very often, only for special occasions. Ah, might as well go for it. I knew I was trying to appease Alice, but it really did look good on me.

When I walked out to the main room, Alice was pacing around dressed in black jeans and a black vest with a white tank underneath, looking beautiful as ever, an LG in her hand.

"No, Rosalie, where are you?" she said, waving quickly at me and gesturing at the pancakes on the table. A muffled voice could be heard from the other line.

"You couldn't even call!" Alice exclaimed. Then her expression became devious. "Oh…really, now? Can we replace her facial wash with shaving cream? Oh, right, you may need a razor to get her eyebrows off." She sighed. "Hmm…you're trying to destroy her popularity?" Alice walked over to the kitchen table and put the phone on speaker.

" – really need to find a way to make _her_ group of girls become my group of girls," Rosalie said quickly.

"I see, I see," Alice replied while I devoured my food.

"Why don't you bribe them?" I said rigidly. _Supportive sister. Supportive sister. Supportive sister…_"I mean, Lauren bribes."

"But bribing only makes you a bitch," Rosalie retorted. "And I am not sinking that low."

"But you kiss up," I replied bitterly. "Just like Lauren."

I heard an exasperated sigh from the other line. "Look, Bella, stop making this so difficult. This is important to me!" Rosalie exclaimed. "I just want to screw her over. Anything."

"Well, you could try and steal Jacob," I mumbled. I inwardly sighed; Rosalie was taking things way too far, in my opinion, and the whole situation was childish. Did being Queen of the school have to be such a significant part of her life? Only…that was her personality, and there wasn't anything we could do at the moment except back out or help her, and what kind of sister would I be if I backed out?

"Already tried that," Rosalie said.

"Speaking of boys, how's Emmett coming along?" Alice asked with a sigh, changing the subject. "And once again, where were you yesterday? You can't avoid that question, because now Bella is with me too. It's two against one."

Rosalie's breathing could be heard through the phone. "Emmett is doing just fine. And I was…" It was quiet for a moment. "…spending the night at a friend's room." Oh, God, she was lying. Which boy did she pummel _this_ time?

Alice looked dubious. "Really? Whose?"

"Lorraine's," she replied a little too quickly.

"Oh, are you sure? Here, let me hang up for a moment. I'm going to call her and ask –"

"NO!" Rosalie shouted into the phone. "I mean…"

Alice grinned at me slyly, and I stared at her warily.

"Where were you, Rose?" I asked. "This doesn't have anything to do with Emmett, does it?" I teased, although my voice was shaky.

Silence.

Alice looked at me with a shocked expression, and I groaned, smacking my forehead.

"_No,_" Alice gasped, her jaw dropping. "You did _not_ – with him – o-oh my goodness– " she looked like she was about to combust. "_Are you out of your mind?!_" she screamed into the phone. "You've known him for what? Three weeks! Not even _one month._ Oh, let me guess, he didn't even break up with Jessica, did he?"

Another silence.

"Oh, shit," Alice muttered. "Rose…you are so, so dead if Jessica finds out about this." Alice froze for a moment. "You weren't loud were you?!"

"Oh, God, no," Rosalie said defensively. "It's not that big a deal!"

"Yes, it is," Alice breathed. "You're going to get your ass kicked if anyone finds out."

Rosalie sighed. "No one's going to find out. Relax, Ali, we have this under control."

Alice didn't look any calmer. "You better, Rosalie Swan! I really sincerely hope that you live until graduation."

I could almost imagine Rosalie shrugging indifferently. "I will, no worries," she said.

Alice rolled her eyes while I sighed exasperatedly. "Alright," I muttered. "But just so you know, in case you _don't_ live until graduation, Alice and I will make sure we plan your funeral. Your death is in good hands."

"Haha," Rosalie scoffed sarcastically. Then she sighed. "Look, we'll talk in person. I'll meet you downstairs in ten." She hung up.

Ten minutes later, Alice and I were getting onto the elevator to head down to the ground level, wrapped warmly in scarves and thick jackets.

The door opened and, to our dismay, Jessica and Tanya were standing, looking at their reflections in the mirrors and applying lip gloss.

When they noticed us come in, they glanced at each other and snickered.

'Ignore them,' Alice mouthed to me.

I tried, I really did.

"Morning," Jessica said casually, puckering her lips at the mirror.

"Um, hey," Alice replied, sending me a warning glance.

It was silent for a moment, until Jessica spoke. "You know, I am like really surprised that you made friends, Alice. Remember in eighth grade when you had like loads of friends? It makes me wonder what like happened to you. You used to be _so_ popular," Jessica sighed dramatically, and Tanya smirked.

"Yeah, and now your choice of a friend is _her_," Tanya continued, jabbing a thumb in my direction. "A nobody." Her voice was surprisingly smooth and silky, like Edward's. Well, perfect match, I suppose.

She flipped her long, strawberry blond hair over her shoulder.

We stood in an awkward silence for a couple seconds.

"Oh, by the way, there's a huge rumor going around school that you and Jasper are a couple," Jessica said nonchalantly, breaking the quiet.

If it was possible, Alice turned paler than before.

"We are not," Alice replied calmly, her jaw taut. I couldn't say anything; I didn't know Jasper that well, and I didn't know much about their relationship either.

Tanya laughed, rolling her eyes. "Don't, like, worry about it too much, _Mary."_ Mary? "Rumor hasn't gone around…yet. But we can guarantee that after breakfast, half the school will know."

Alice's hands clenched into fists.

"Jasper will deny it," Alice said. I glanced nervously at the floor numbers. Why did we have to be so high up?

Jessica laughed. "Oh, I really don't think he will. He like _loves_ attention. And besides, I'm sure he'll be like _so_ proud. He'll walk around school like a second Jacob. Isn't that like exactly what you need? A popular boyfriend for a popular lifestyle? I really thought you'd thank us. Of course…the school will now think you're just using him for attention."

"It's not true!" Alice nearly yelled.

"Oh, but that's where your social status comes to play," Tanya said with an – I hate to admit it - _attractive_ smirk. "Like no one's going to believe Mary Alice Brandon," she sang in her silky voice. "Besides, I'm sure you and Cassidy are going to get along very well."

Would this elevator ride ever end?

As if right on queue, the doors slid open and Tanya and Jessica walked out, strutting their way across the quad and into the cafeteria building.

Alice, on the other hand, was frozen beside me, her eyes blank and her face paler than ever. I tugged on her arm and pulled her out of the elevator before the doors slid shut.

Rosalie was waiting patiently across from us in the common room, completely clothed.

When she saw Alice, her face became worried. "What happened?"

Alice swallowed and shook her head stiffly. Then she glanced up at Rosalie with a determined expression. When she spoke, her tone was bleak yet firm. "I want Jessica's bottle of shampoo and several cups of chocolate pudding. I want them _now._"

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**boing. (i say that a lot lately) WHATD U GUYS THINK?!?! please leave a review!**  
**and if u guys are wondeirng aobut the Elf Dance, ill go more into detai later on in the story. also, on alice eighth grade mary randon thingy, ill go into detail on that later too, i promise :D right now im just dropping hints. xD  
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**anyway, review please ;) thanks to my friendsy who revised this for me: SiNGxawayuki. you rock :) also, thanks to Adrienne for your revision. and thanks to those of you who reviewed, alerted, favorited, all that for this story. thanks soo much! :D  
**

**now, leave a review please!  
**


	5. To Get to Know You

**chapter 4 peoples. :) i lovee your reviewsies! i just want to say thanks for them, and also for the alerts and stuff again. it means sooo much to me :D**

**okay. chapter 4 o.o this chapter was okay. its kinda a filler chap, sorry. i just kinda needed it in here. but i can promise you next chapter and the chap after that will be freaking awesome! i like them at least. :)**

**read now, and drop a review please!**

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**CHAPTER 4 – To Get to Know You**

I always knew that Rosalie was the competitive type, and anyone who dared mess with her was going to receive a terrible punishment in vengeance. Rosalie is nice…only if she likes you. But Alice Cullen – I never thought she'd go this far.

I stared at the Sunsilk shampoo bottle in disbelief. Was I truly the only sane one left? "Um, Rose, where and how did you get this?"  
Rosalie smiled slyly. "I got it from Jess's bathroom, and as to how…I know people who know people who know people." She winked.

"Right," I nodded my head with a dry laugh while Alice peeled open pudding cups.

I gave her the emptied shampoo bottle and watched as she gingerly poured the thick, brown "dessert" in (or snack, I suppose). Then, Rosalie passed her a white Elmer's Glue Bottle.

My eyes widened. "I thought you asked for pudding!"

"I did," Alice replied matter-of-factly. "But glue will make things more interesting." She took off the cap of the glue bottle and dumped half of the glue bottle in with the pudding.

"I had nothing to do with this," I said stubbornly, crossing my arms across my chest.

Both Rosalie and Alice rolled their eyes.

"Sweetie, you have much to learn," Rosalie mused.

After about two minutes, Alice suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! I got it!" She looked at Rosalie and me with a devious glint in her eyes. "You want to totally ruin Lauren Mallory? December 24 is the Winterfest Dance, and Lauren has won Winter Queen three times in a row, for the three years she's been here. It's totally important to her. If you" – she glanced at Rosalie – "could win that, she would totally be humiliated," she grinned. "Every year, Lauren and Jacob win as Queen and King. But this year may be different, at least for the queens."

Rosalie smiled. "Seems decent." Her eyes brightened. "Oh, wait, every year on Christmas Eve, she hosts a party too, right? Angeline told me."

Alice nodded. "So I've heard."

"That gives me some ideas…" Rosalie said slowly. We looked at each other and laughed. Rosalie glanced at the digital clock on the side table and then sighed.

"Here, I'll go drop these back off in her room," Rosalie said as she sealed the bottle again. "Then, we'll meet for the Thanksgiving dinner."

"You coming home tonight?" I asked as she grabbed her keys and opened the door.

Rosalie stood still for a moment and then turned around to look at me. She grinned.

"Hell no."

"Spending the night with Emmett again?" Alice teased.

To my surprise, and to Alice's too, Rosalie shook her head. "Not Emmett."

Alice and I stared at her skeptically, and Rosalie said, "What?"

I cleared my throat uncomfortably, and then grinned. "So, if it's not Emmett…then who is it?" I asked in a curious voice, the kind you used at slumber parties when you asked your best friend to give you the name of her crush.

Something flashed in Rosalie's eyes, and her hard gaze became carefully composed, displaying no emotion whatsoever.

Instead, she forced a smile. "Can't say. But we'll call him…mmm…Dan. I'm spending the night with Dan."

My smile faltered, and Alice's once-twinkling eyes dulled. "Um…why can't you tell us who he is?" I inwardly frowned; Rosalie always told me everything. It was our sister-sister thing since…forever.

Rosalie shook her head and sighed, opening the door of our dorm. "It's case personal. But…I'll see you guys at the dinner tonight."

Alice frowned. "But aren't you seeing Em –"

The door closed before Alice could finish the rest of her sentence.

We looked at each other quizzically, and then Alice sighed, leaning back against the couch and tucking her hands behind her head. "It could be a girl," she pondered.

"Right," I said doubtfully, mimicking her position.

"Alice," I started after a full five minutes of silence. "I'm really confused."

"About what, Bella?" she asked.

I stared up at the ceiling while I spoke. "What Tanya said today…it's perplexing. I mean, Mary? Your name is Alice."

Alice seemed thoughtful for a moment, for she didn't respond right away.

"Alice…is my middle name," she said slowly. "My full name is Mary Alice Brandon, the name I had before I was adopted."

I waited patiently, waiting for her to continue.

She smiled softly at me. "Carlisle and Esme adopted me when I was ten, and I became Mary Alice Cullen, although I like Alice – just Alice. Once Esme and Carlisle adopted me, I became Ms. Popular at my schools. Tanya, Jessica, and I went to the same elementary and middle school. Ironic, but true. They know all about me. You know, strangely enough, Esme was close friends with Tanya's mom for a year or two, and Tanya's mom was good friends with Jessica's.

"Anyway, it kind of freaks me out how Jessica and Tanya ended up at the same boarding school we're at," Alice mumbled.

Then she sat up and looked at me, her eyes wide and innocent. She whispered, "You know, I always thought they had this…thing…for Edward. They probably followed him." She looked completely serious while I snorted.

"Stalkers," I muttered as Alice nodded fervently.

"Yep. Jessica and Tanya tease me about my name, but I hate it. _Mary_," she scoffed, making a face. "I'm Alice Cullen, and I don't talk to my brother," she said confidently.

"But I don't understand how he could be so protective of you if you've spoken to him one time."

Alice laughed bitterly, becoming more relaxed. "Yeah, only that one time we talked…we got into this huge" – she paused, as if thinking of what to say – "…_argument_. Edward always looked after me through seventh and eighth grade, and I missed his playfulness and sibling fights after he took off for boarding school. You see, Bella, he was one of those boys who bullied and got bullied; it had always been an issue since the fourth grade. But anyway, I'm not thirteen anymore," she said with a laugh. "I'm seventeen, and I can make my own decisions. I mean, he's only a couple months older than me."

I nodded. "But…"

Alice closed her eyes, but continued to speak. "I told him that I wanted to meet his friends, because I'd heard ongoing rumors about how good-looking they were all in the first day." She stared off for a moment.

Then her brow furrowed. "Edward told me to stay away from them, though, and that included him. I _think_ even _he _knew that he had issues. So, I promised I wouldn't for him, although not after little controversy."

"Ah," I replied.

Alice shrugged with a sniff. "It's fine, now. We don't talk much. Actually, that time I called him a bastard was like…the first thing I said to him in a while."

Something in my expression made her eyes widen, and she quickly added, "But I still love him." It didn't reach her eyes.

"Mhmm," I said in what I hoped was obvious agreement.

"Everything I do now, I do it for him."

"I see," I said slowly. "And yet you talked to Jasper yesterday."

Alice nodded. "I realized that there's only so much Edward could do. He's not going to stop me from doing what I want to do. I _want_ to be popular again, like Rosalie and Tanya. I want people to pay attention to me."

"Oh," I said again. "But now the school thinks…"

"Yeah, they do think Jasper and I are a couple," Alice sighed. "But Jasper likes attention, and I do too, more than you'd think. Besides, there's no proof."

"Yet," I mumbled in a voice too low for her to hear.

Alice sighed and gazed up at the ceiling. "I have to play it cool. It wasn't very clever of me to break down in front of Jessica and Tanya."

"So you're not going to deny it if Jasper isn't." It wasn't a question, but more of a statement.

"No," she said quietly. "Edward deserves a punishment, and I deserve better."

I nodded, relieved that I now understood more about this Cullen, though not all of her. And her past only gave me the desire to learn about the other Cullen. What was he like?

-------o-------

"I am _so_ full," Alice sighed as she put the fork down. Of course she was; for the Thanksgiving dinner, she'd devoured a grand total of five turkey legs, two bowls of mashed potatoes and gravy, four bread rolls, three servings of cranberry sauce, one bowl of corn, and one and a half pumpkin pie slices. The other half was sitting on her plate just waiting to be finished.

"I could imagine," I said with a laugh at how true it was, although I was slightly miffed that I actually memorized everything she'd eaten.

Alice rolled her eyes and popped another bite into her mouth while Rosalie sat across from me, shaking her head with a grin.

"Really, how can you eat so much and still be so skinny?" she sighed jealously.

Alice shrugged, not moving her eyes from the slice of pie. "I have good metabolism."

"I bet," I replied. "All the food that is gone from the table is in your stomach," I added as Alice and Rosalie laughed. "Literally."

We started talking more while eating, chatting about random things like clothing and cars (Alice and Rosalie both had this thing for speedy vehicles while an old, worn Chevrolet truck was perfectly fine with me. When I told them that, they stared at me as if I was a neon green carton of milk with pinstripes and polka dots).

"What?" I asked defensively.

"Bella," Alice said disapprovingly, "If you ever plan on driving at least five miles, I highly doubt that a 50's BMW truck is going to get you anywhere."

"Chevrolet," I corrected sternly.

She rolled her eyes.

We continued eating and talking some more when Rosalie said, "Hey, I'm going to get going now."

Alice looked up from her apple cider. "What? Why? They haven't even passed out the pecan pies," she said with a pout.

Rosalie smiled. "I have another group of girls I need to hang with, plus Emmett" – she glanced longingly at Jacob's table and then turned back to us –"and I'm meeting Dan later."

"You know, Jessica is right there," I said, eyeing Jacob's table, where Jessica, Tanya, and Lauren were sitting with the rest of the guys. Jessica was even kissing Emmett at the moment. Insolent fools, I thought irritably.

Rosalie shrugged. "So? I'm not scared of her. I want to see Emmett," she whined.

"You do know that Jessica is –" I started, annoyed by her determination.

Rosalie shrugged. "'Course I do." She looked over in Emmett's direction, and I watched as he opened one eye, his lips still moving fervently with Jessica's, and smiled softly at Rosalie. My sister smiled and waved, while I glared at the both of them. Jessica – as well as Edward, Jacob, and the rest of the people – were completely oblivious to their quick and silent exchange.

"You know," I said. "I always thought you wanted a long, devoted relationship."

"I do," Rosalie said.

"'I do'," I quoted sourly. "That" – I nodded my head at Emmett – "is not a very devoting."

Rosalie sighed and stared at me wearily. "Bella, why can't you just let me do what I want to do? I like him. A lot."

"But he's cheating on you, right before your eyes," I retorted. "How can you be happy about that?"

"I never said I was _happy_ –"

"Then why are you dating someone you're not happy with?" I interrupted.

"We're not _dating,_" Rosalie hissed, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Oh, so you're just using him," I said in the same angry tone.

"No, I'm –"

" – going to toss him away like every other guy you've dated," I said, shocked by my sudden anger.

"Bella, you say it like I'm a player. I'm not," Rosalie growled.

"I'm not saying you're a _player…_"

"Then what are you saying? Why can't I just do what I want to? I don't have to listen to you."

"You should. At least this once," I snapped.

"No," she said stubbornly. She grabbed her jacket, gave me one last piercing glare, and walked toward Jacob's table without a glance back.

The rest of the dinner passed by in a blur, and eventually Alice left to go secretly meet up with Jasper at the library. There was bound to be a story told tomorrow morning.

Sooner or later, I left to head back to the dorm. I stepped out of the cafeteria and shivered, wishing I had brought a thicker jacket. But hey, the walk back to the dorm wouldn't take too long.

Crossing my arms across my chest, I inhaled the cool winter air and let it out with a sigh, mist clouding around my mouth. As I walked, I felt uncertain.

I was faintly aware that I was being watched, watched or followed. I clutched myself tighter as a cold breeze danced through the air, my eyes darting around at my surroundings. The night was looming and dark, and the vague outline of stars could be seen in the sky. Dimly lit lights illuminated the area, and besides the sound of footsteps, the night was quiet and still.

Ominously still.

I continued to walk, and I could faintly hear the sound of footsteps behind me, light and quiet as a feather, but carefully keeping up to my pace. Picking up my stride, I tried to power walk without falling, my heart beating erratically in my chest. It was at this time that I wanted my pepper spray, which I knew was sitting in my bedroom drawer all the way back in Forks.

The footsteps grew louder, and I knew my follower was picking up pace. He – or she – was a faster walker than I, and I was too fearful to look back. A stab of dread and terror coursed through me as I passed the rays of a streetlamp, seeing my shadow…and then someone else's.

"You know, you are really oblivious," a husky voice said from beside me.

I nearly jumped out of my skin at that moment.

"Holy shit," I gasped, staring up at a laughing Jacob. I exhaled, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Jacob Black, don't _ever_ do that again!" I yelled childishly, smacking the side of his arm (I couldn't reach his shoulder) and probably injuring my hand in the process.

He shrugged. "Not my fault I'm naturally intimidating." In truth, he really was intimidating. He towered over me nearly two heads, the hard muscles on his arms and chest forcing through the thin fabric of his black t-shirt (wasn't he cold?). Even in the dark, his coal black eyes shined mockingly.

"Do you have any particular reason for following me?" I grumbled heatedly, walking quickly. I just really wanted to get inside; it was freezing and all I was wearing was a t-shirt, jeans, tennis shoes, and a thin jacket. Next time, I told myself, I'll dress warmer. I had a nick for dressing in summer clothes during winter and then dressing in winter clothes during summer. Clumsiness flowed to my brain, apparently.

"Actually, yes," Jacob said. He kept up with my stride easily, trying to hide the grin that threatened to form on his lips.

I glowered at him. "Well?" I muttered.

I didn't expect the words that slipped out of his mouth. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner with me Friday night." I froze mid-step.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air while I contemplated this thought.

And even so, I still couldn't believe it. "I'm sorry, what?" I gasped.

Jacob chuckled. "I asked if you wanted to go to dinner with me next week."

Next week? Dinner with him? You have got to be serious! Hell no.

"Um, why would I want to go out with you?" I said in a tone meaner than I'd intended. I gently added, "I barely know you."

Jacob shrugged. "So, we can get to know each other through dating."

How cliché. "But I don't trust you."

"Then learn to trust me."

I glowered at him and his smartass comments. "Could you shut up?" I hissed, walking away from him.

"Is that a yes?" he called.

"No!" I screamed back.

"No to my yes, or no to the date?" he asked.

"What's the difference?" I yelled back exasperatedly as I pulled open the doors to the building.

"Think about it," he said just as the door slammed shut.

--  
**errm. yeah. so. yeah. Jacob asked her out. obviously. but not to worry, this is a bella edward story. Edward comes in later, you just wait ;) and yes, about the milk carton analogy thing, i have this thing for being random. lol. ALSO, shoutout to Adrienne! thanks for your help. AND for .SiNGawayuki tyvm for your revisions helpies :)  
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**hm. if you dont get alice's story, basically she went to the same school as tanya and jessica, and they know everything about alice. hmm..and alice is doing something similar to what bella did in new moon, like how she broke promises. alice is doing that to edward, because shes sick of being isolated from people she wants to be with. so i hope that clears things up. sorrryy if you hated this chap -.- it wasnt that great, ill admit, at least in my opinion. and btw, the story alice told is only part of her past...theres a lot more to the cullens then youd think. o.o  
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**ahh...the mroe reviews...the sooner chapter 5 comes up? alright kidding.**

**but leave a review please!!!!! i love them reviewsies.**


	6. Cell Phones are so Efficient

**lol. so if your wondering if jacob was meanningful or just cruel and mocking when he asked bella out, it was a mere mixture of both. because he is - secretly - somewhat attracted to her, but hes a palyer. So. yeah. also, he just likes to mock people. xD**

**so chapter 5. i had a lot of funwriting this chapter, as i did for chapters 6, 7, and 8. :D im sooo glad im getting reviews. thanks so much guys! lplease read and please keep those reviews coming??**

**btw, this is like. two weeks later from chapter 4. REVIEW!  
**

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**CHAPTER 5 – Cell Phones are so Efficient**

I stared at the clock in biology.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Would this class ever end?

I glanced at Alice, who was furiously scribbling something onto her test page, her expression completely focused. Mike Newton was staring at his final exam, a slight frown creasing his forehead while he chewed on his eraser nervously. Tanya Dachelet was sneaking glances at Luke Norman's paper, bubbling in a circle on her Scantron after each glance. Jessica was looking off of Tanya's. And Edward Cullen was staring at me curiously.

I raised an eyebrow at him, and I watched as a corner of his lips turned up into a cocky, lopsided smile.

I blushed, rolled my eyes, and stared at the wall in front of me for a few minutes before glancing up at the clock. I jumped when I felt a piece of paper being shoved into my hands.

It was a yellow post-it note, folded neatly in half. On the front, written in neat, elegant script, was the name Brooke, the girl who sat across from me. I raised my eyebrows and looked at Edward, who was staring at me expectantly.

He nodded his head at Brooke Allen. I glared at him and opened the note, ignoring his frantic gestures of disagreement.

_Dinner with me tomorrow night?_

_-E_

I widened my eyes and dropped my jaw, moving my gaze up to Edward, who was facing the ceiling with his forefinger and thumb pinching the bridge of his nose. I could see him glaring at me with his eyes, although his head was still tilted upwards.

He moved his hand away from his nose and turned the rest of his head in my direction, silently pleading for me to pass on the message.

I gave him a 'you've got to be kidding me' look and narrowed my eyes at him for a long, long moment, moving my gaze from Tanya to him, back and forth.

"Please?" he mouthed, jutting his bottom lip out slightly and scrunching his eyebrows together in a pout.

Eventually, he was too adorable to resist.

I snuck a glance at Mr. Banner, who was sitting at his desk completely engrossed in a newspaper article – that was good. _No wonder he doesn't see Tanya cheating_, I thought crabbily.

Then, I peeked at Brooke, her brown, curly hair flowing elegantly over her shoulders as she appeared to be checking over her test. She held her Scantron in her left hand, the test paper and essay answers on the table, and a pencil in her right hand, her eyes darting back and forth between the pieces of paper.

Sneaking one last glimpse of Mr. Banner, I cautiously (and somewhat reluctantly) shoved the paper towards Brooke, who jumped and stared at me, questions lined in her wide brown eyes.

I pointed at Edward, who was smiling at her seductively, and watched as she blushed and quickly opened the piece of paper, her fingers – to my amazement – shaking. Her blush reddened after she finished reading it, and the both of them locked gazes for a moment before Brooke nodded heartily.

I turned my head back to Edward, annoyed at how smug his expression was. I glared at him, and he glared right back, although the corners of his lips twitched in an effort to hide his smile.

Three scowls and two minutes later, the bell signaling the end of class rang through the room, and students got out of their seats to turn in the exam.

"So, what'd you think of the final?" Alice asked casually as Edward slipped right passed us without a glance in our direction.

"It was fine," I replied. "Some were pretty difficult. You?"

"I struggled with the essay part," she admitted sheepishly.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced through the halls, and everyone froze.

"Rosalie Swan!" Lauren screamed as she ran out of the girls bathroom covered in…poop…I think. It looked an awful lot like it.

Jessica and Tanya ran out after her, Jessica's hair looking healthy and normal again after her encounter with Pudding Shampoo two weeks ago. The memory made me inwardly laugh – the murderous glare on Jessica's face as she stormed over to our table, glancing around between Alice, Rosalie, and me. Alice snapped a comeback line and Jessica huffed and walked away, her face screwed up in fury.

In reality, I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing, and I watched as everyone else burst into laughter. Edward, who stood across the hallway, had his shoulders shaking with laughter, and I could tell his expression was amused even though he had a hand over his mouth. Next to him stood a blushing Brooke Smith, although a wide smile was on her face the instant she saw Lauren Mallory. And Alice giggled beside me before breaking into hysterical laughter at the look on Lauren's face.

"Nice make-up," Rosalie sang as she and her friends glided gracefully passed a bemused Lauren, Jessica, and Tanya. She glanced at Jessica and said, "I see you've finally gotten rid of the bird nest."

"You _bitch," _Lauren gasped as she tried to get the poop off of her face. It only made things worse.

"Aww, come on now, babe," Jacob said, appearing beside her with Jasper and Emmett. "It was just a prank."

"She freaking – "

Jacob clamped his hand over her mouth, making a face when his hand came in contact with the poop. Rosalie laughed as Lauren disappeared with Jacob just a split second before Mr. Fischer appeared to see what all the mischief was.

Mr. Fischer was the school principal. He was a slightly chubby, graying man who appeared to be in his late forties or early fifties. With round glasses, a dark mustache, and a shiny, somewhat-bald head, he strutted around the school in a formal business suit.

I sighed as I watched Lauren and Jacob walk away. Of course Jacob and Lauren were still together. It was too much like Jacob to ask me out when he already had a girlfriend. And I still wasn't even sure if he meant it or not.

Alice laughed. "Replacing her face wash with dog shit. I have to give her credit for that," she howled, a wide grin on her lips. Then she said, "And Lauren didn't even have the sense to wash it off of her face before stepping out for everyone to see!" Alice shrieked, the both of us doubling over in laughter. Now when you put it that way…it was just plain hilarious.

Alice laughed one more time, waved at me, and walked with Jasper, who was standing where Edward was before, to her next class. I watched her wave to him, watched as Jasper smiled and murmured something into her ear, causing her to laugh wholeheartedly. She smacked his arm and in return, he laughed and lightly took her hand, leading her down the hallway to her next class.

Spectators stared at the two of them in awe.

I sighed and walked to my next period. One more test today, I told myself as I stepped into English. And then PE, and then done. The test-filled week would be over…and then more tests next week. Perfect.

When the bell signaling the end of seventh period rang across the school, I let out a sigh of relief. Just one more week until a break for Christmas.

I jogged off to the quad to find Alice talking on the phone. When she saw me, she smiled, waved, and said something into her cell phone before flipping it shut."We need to go Christmas shopping," Alice gasped. "How could I forget?" A horrified expression crossed her face, and she looked at me franticly. "Is there something wrong with me? Something's wrong with me right Bella? Oh, God…"

"Alice, calm down," I said, shaking her shoulders lightly, refraining from rolling my eyes in fear of hurting her feelings. "Something is going to be wrong with you if you don't chillax." Did I just say 'chillax?' "Besides, you probably got…caught up with the studying." Finals week really is unnerving.

Alice sighed and perked up. "Got it. Let's go shopping!"

What a better way to spend a Friday than going shopping? The next three hours we were Christmas shopping like hell, buying things with birthday money from years before and allowances. A shopping outlet was located just inside campus (barely), and Alice and I pretty much snuck off in her yellow Porsche. We bought clothing for the Elf Dance as well as gifts for friends. I bought Rosalie a nice gift card to Wet Seal and Hot Topic, and then some jackets from Victoria's Secret. Alice bought some lingerie for Rosalie, and I got Angela three blouses from Forever 21.

"Should I get something for Edward?" Alice asked.

"If you want," I replied nonchalantly as I observed an Abercrombie shirt, looking at the price tag. I was planning on getting it for Mike, because after all, he really was a nice person.

"Gee, you're so helpful, Bella," Alice said sarcastically.

"Well, have you gotten him anything before?"

"No, not exactly," she said. "I hadn't seen or contacted him for three years, remember? And besides, during summers, he goes and does these stupid internships or whatever. So, no."

"Hmm…" I murmured thoughtfully. "I think you should get him something. Here, get this for him." I held up a polo shirt. "This will look good on him." Hell, anything could look good on him. Edward Cullen was breathtakingly gorgeous.

Alice sighed. "Alright."

We stopped by a couple more stores, burned some more cash and credit cards, and stopped by the food court for a quick dinner. By the time we made it back to the school campus, it was 7:45.

Alice parked her Porsche smoothly in the space, and then we grabbed the bags, locked up, and headed across the nearly vacant campus to our dorm room.

Along the way, a bright smile lit Alice's face.

"Jasper!" she said brightly.

I watched as the tall, dirty-blond-haired boy approached us, his blue eyes trained fixedly on Alice.

"Hey, Alice," he said, a faint hint of a southern accent in his voice. They stared at each other for an immeasurable moment, and I looked away, feeling like I was intruding on something.

They must've noticed that they'd completely ignored me, for Jasper suddenly said, "You're Bella, right? Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," I replied. We shook hands briefly, and Alice sent me a pout.

I narrowed my eyes at her, and her pout turned into a glare, her hands finding their way to rest demandingly on her hip. "Ugh, fine," I grumbled, taking all the bags from her. It was like my first day here, except instead of suitcases, I held shopping bags.

"Thanks," she whispered, a grateful smile instantly forming on her lips.

"No problem," I replied impassively as I grumpily stalked off toward the dorm buildings. "Oh, by the way, Jasper," I said, turning around to face him. "If she isn't back by…" – I glanced at my watch –"8 o' clock sharp, I'm going to personally approach you with a shotgun and shoot you to death."

Something about the look on my face made the both of them turn a shade paler than before.

I couldn't help but smirk. "I was kidding."

Jasper laughed nervously, scratching the side of his head to seem occupied. "Haha. You're hilarious," he said in an unconvincing voice.

I rolled my eyes at them. "Have fun, you two," I laughed.

When I got back to the dorm, it wasn't a surprise to find that Rosalie wasn't there. She was gone almost every night now, spending it with "Dan" or Emmett and doing God knows what with him behind Jessica's back. I dropped the bags onto the floor of the living room and pulled off my shoes, rubbing my sore feet. Another shopping trip in hell, although this was for a good cause.

Even though it was only eight, I felt worn out and tired. I considered just sleeping on the couch, having no motive or diligence to walk to my bedroom or even change, when my phone vibrated in my pocket.

I pulled it out and found a message on the screen. "1 new text message."

_Winterfest Dance with me?_

_-Jacob_

This guy couldn't be more idiotic, I mean, a text message? Besides, the dance was still two weeks away.

I replied with a "In your dreams," and flipped the phone shut. While I changed into comfortable flannel pajamas, my phone vibrated again, for I had received another text.

_It really is in my dreams. You shine brightly, you know that Bella?_

Great. Now he was kissing up to me.

_Jerk_, I responded.

_Am not._

_You ask a girl out in a text message. How do you expect a first date?_

_My charm should help._

_You have no charm. And how did you even get my phone number?_

_I know people._

_Freak._

_Bye._

_Good night._

I was just able to close my eyes before my phone vibrated yet again.

_Is that a yes?_

_No._

_No to my yes or no to the date?_

_Shut up._

_But I'm not talking._

_Bye Jacob. And it's a no to the date._

_Think about it._

He repeated the same thing he did the night he asked me out to dinner. I sighed. This boy was playing games with me, and it annoyed me to the very core. Why were boys nowadays either sex-craved or lunatics? No offense to the male population. In fact, I currently saw them as sex-craved lunatics…just perfect.

I snuggled underneath the covers and closed my eyes, trying to find some will to sleep. I don't know how long I laid there, motionless and still, until sleep finally took over me.

When I woke up, the _tap-tap_ of rain filled my ears. Wait, it was raining?

I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes, trying to focus my vision again. I didn't have a window in my room, but I could assume it was raining hard since I could hear it through the walls.

I slipped out of bed and took a quick shower, pulling on jeans and a button-up long sleeve. I grabbed my cell phone and exited my bedroom, the sound of rain even louder now.

While I stared out the window in the living room, I cradled a cup of hot cocoa in my hands. Heavy gray clouds hovered above the land, and the overcast sky provoked a gloomy impression. The rain was pouring loudly against the ground and building.

I took a sip of my drink and checked my phone, satisfied that there were no new text messages or phone calls. That was a good sign.

"Morning…" Alice's nearly dead voice rang quietly through the room. Alice stepped out of her bedroom with her inky hair disheveled and her make-up smeared.

"Jeez, Alice, what time did you come home?" I asked, taking another sip of hot chocolate.

"Around eleven," she said before yawning as she plopped down next to me on the couch. "But then I stayed up until twelve texting Jasper."

"Wow," I said, gazing out the window as I spoke. "You must really like him."

"Oh, I do, Bella!" Alice said, her voice abruptly energetic and bubbly. "Last night was _amazing._ He took my hand and led me to this _beautiful_ garden just outside campus. It had a fountain and stunning flowers and everything! And then we sat down on a bench and talked for hours on end, about anything and everything. We have so, so much in common, and Jasper is the sweetest boy I've ever met! Oh, Bella, I don't think I've ever liked someone so much!"

I kept my stare fixed on the window. It was hailing now. "That's great, Alice." I cocked my head in her direction. "I'm glad that it's working out between you guys."

Alice nodded fervently. "And that's not even the best part. He asked me to the Winterfest Dance!" If I didn't know any better, I would've said she was positively sitting on a cloud with a halo over her head – she was literally glowing.

"Bella, can I please, _please_ go?" Alice begged.

"Alice, are you asking for my permission?" I laughed. She just jutted her bottom lip out and pouted, her eyes watery and her bottom lip trembling; she looked absolutely adorable. "I'm not your mother, but if I was, I'd say…'yes, you can go.'"

Alice let out a squeal of delight and threw her arms around my neck. "Thank you thank you thank you!" she screamed.

I laughed and hugged her back.

Alice giggled, and then the smile was suddenly gone from her face. "But what about you? Are you going to the Winterfest?"

I shook my head and got off the couch. "No one asked me, Alice," I lied, hoping I'd convinced her enough. Jacob or Mike? Ugh. Mike was too clingy for my taste, and Jacob…well, I didn't trust the dude.

Alice followed me into the kitchen. "I don't believe that." She frowned at me with a sympathetic expression.

"Actually, you should," I sighed, leaving my cup in the sink and turning around to look at her, my back pressed against the edge of the countertop. "I'm not going, and that's it."

I watched as Alice's brow furrowed even more.

"But it's not like it should matter," I said quickly, desperate to get the frown off her face. "You should go. You like Jasper."

"Yes…but I want you to come too," Alice said quietly.

"Alice," I groaned, "What am I going to do there without a date? Chew on caviar? I don't have a dress, I don't have a date…I'm not going."

"I want you to come," she repeated firmly. "Rosalie is going to be there with Emmett. I'm – "

"Rose is going with Emmett?" I asked dubiously.

Alice shrugged. "They're going to find some way to work it out since it's a public dance. _Anyway,_ I'm going with Jasper. You are going with Edward."

I swallowed. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

I groaned and glared at the ceiling. "I barely know Edward."

"Then get to know him," she retorted.

"But he's dating Tanya!"

"So what? Screw her," Alice replied.

"But why me?" I complained.

Alice sighed. "Edward needs _someone_ to knock sense into him, and I think you are just that person," she said matter-of-factly. Then she quietly mumbled, "Technically, I would have had Rosalie go with him. But she's already taken, so you're up next."

I glared at her. "Alice, I don't know if you know this, but he seems like an arrogant, pig-headed asshole," I muttered grimly.

"Not to worry, Bells. That's what you're there for – to make him _not_ that asshole. And if he starts being all arrogant, just kick him where the sun doesn't shine. I would do that," she said in a perfectly innocent voice.

"Alice, I'm not going to go around kneeing people in the groin. Besides -"

"You're not kneeing people in the groin, you're kneeing _Edward_ in the groin. Bella, sweetie, there's a difference."

I rolled my eyes and continued my previous statement. "I don't have a dress, and there is no way I'm shopping in hail," I said stubbornly.

"You won't need to," Alice said softly. "I already have a dress for you."

My head snapped in her direction. "What?"

Alice grinned. "Come on." She grabbed my hand and led me over to her bedroom entrance. It just occurred to me that I'd never been in her bedroom before. I inwardly hit myself at my ignorance.

Alice opened her bedroom door and I felt my jaw drop.

Her room looked just like a fashion studio – literally. Three mannequins were in the back corner, two of them completely covered in gorgeous dresses, and the third dress halfway done. Alice's bed lay in the far left corner of the room, complete with flowery comforters and fluffy pillows. Her floor was covered in various strands of fabric she used to design her clothing.

She led me over to her closet and slid the door out of the way, revealing racks of various dresses.

After fumbling through them for a few seconds, she pulled out a dark blue, strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline. The empire waist allowed it to flow loosely around my thighs and end elegantly around my knees. Truly, the entire number was incredibly designed.

I gasped as Alice handed it to me.

"Your dress for the dance," she murmured, scrutinizing my face.

"It…it's incredible," I said as I touched the fabric of the dress Alice gave me. The material was silky, soft, and somewhat glossy. "It's beautiful…I…thanks, Alice." I stared at the rest of her collection. "Have you always…"

Alice grinned and nodded. "But some of these I made back in Alaska."

"Well, you're incredibly talented," I said genuinely as I ran my fingers over the fabric of her other dresses. One was a silky mahogany color that puffed out at the bottom, and another was a magenta color with black, transparent fabric covering it. They really were a spectacle.

I moved my gaze back to the dress in my arms. "Wow," I said with a bright smile. "When did you do this? And how did you even get my size?"

Alice smiled. "There are many things I do that you don't know of," she said slyly. "Also, I shop with you all the time. I know your figure," she added.

I laughed. "This is so awesome," I said admiringly.

Alice's grin widened. "_Now_ do you want to go to the dance?" she asked hopefully.

I immediately felt uneasy. "Alice…as much as I adore this dress, I can't go. I refuse to go with Edward, and besides, it involves _dancing._ I can't dance."

"Then learn," Alice sighed. "You _have_ to come, Bella. It won't be complete without you."

I stared at the defeated look on Alice's face and fingered the phone in my pocket.

--  
**you must be like "BELLA WTF ARE YOU DOING?!" idk. your mind. yur thoughts. lol.**

**i hope you liked it :) i didnt think it was that bad. and the whole pudding accident wasnt reallyy SUPER major, and something major i THINK is going to be coming in chapter 8 or so. :P thanks to adriennee and .xSiNGawayuki (iforgothowtospellitmyfriend) for your help in revising some of this. **

**hmm..OH YES. about the lab tables, idk. the lab tables in my mind are those LOONNNGG tables with like eight people on one side, and then the person next to you is your aprtner. o.o well if not, then just rpetend. please. :P**

**lol REVIEWS PLEASE!**


	7. Perceptive, Persuasive, and Practical

**chapter 6 peoples :)**

**this chapter takes off right after chapter 5, around noon. alright? in case u become confused on the timing ns tuff.**

**and i know rosalies such a meaniebutt, but dont worry, everything works out in the end :)  
**

**anyway, reviews please!**

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**CHAPTER 6 – Perceptive, Persuasive, and Practical**

"Hey, where are you going?" I asked as Rosalie grabbed her keys and headed towards the door of our dorm.

"Lunch," she replied.

"In that?" I raised my eyebrow at her skimpy shorts and tank top.

She shrugged, pulling on a coat. "Yes, Bella, what else am I going to wear?" her tone was annoyed. "Do you want me to walk around naked?" she asked as she peered into the mirror beside the door and applied some mascara.

"Well, not necessarily…"

"Good." She closed the lid and slipped it back in her purse before pulling out blood red lipstick and applying it to her lips.

"You know, it's sixty degrees outside," I said.

"So?" she replied, not looking away from her reflection. She puckered her lips, ran the stick over one more time, and slipped the lipstick back in her purse before slipping her feet into shiny black pumps.

After winking at her reflection, she turned to me. "How do I look?"

"Skanky," I said instantly.

Rosalie narrowed her eyes at me.

"Ugh, fine," I sighed. "You look hot. Happy?"

She grinned and nodded. "Why thank you, Bella."

"No problem." I rolled my eyes. "Who are you going with?"

Rosalie smiled at me. "Emmett, as usual. He's taking me out to an expensive Italian restaurant nearby. He said there were these really good breadsticks he wanted me to try." She laughed and rolled her eyes.

I raised another eyebrow at her. "Huh. Well, hey, you want to go out to dinner tonight? We haven't had a meal together in a while."

I caught the uncomfortable look that crossed on her face, and quickly added, "And then after, we can watch Mean Girls. I know you love that movie." It's also the movie that reminds me of you, I thought before I could stop myself.

Rosalie looked thoughtful then. "Well, maybe tomorrow night."

"You spending the night at Emmett's again?" Of course she was; she hadn't slept here in a while.

Rosalie nodded. "He's taking me to dinner, and then when we get back here, I'm going to give out cupcakes to get votes for Winter Queen. Then I'm hanging out at his dorm."

I looked down at the book in my hands. "Gee, I feel terribly sorry for his roommate."

Rosalie shrugged and waved her hand indifferently. "His roommate is Jasper, who doesn't really care, as long as all activity happens in Emmett's bedroom and Emmett's bedroom only."

Both my eyebrows shot up. "Oh my God…Jasper?"

Rosalie shrugged.

My brow furrowed. "Oh, jeez I feel horrible for him!" I exclaimed, putting a hand over my heart sympathetically. "Isn't he really emotional sometimes? Poor guy has to suffer…his _ears_."

Rosalie immediately became defensive. "Hey! No! We're not _that _selfish_. _He spends the night at Edward's dorm," she said, as if that was the answer to the problem.

My jaw dropped. "What? You guys have been keeping the guy deprived of his own room?" My voice was an octave higher than usual.

Rosalie held her hands up defensively. "No! He _volunteered_ to leave. We didn't deprive him of anything."

I gawked at her. "So Jasper Whitlock has been spending the night at Edward Cullen's dorm for the last two weeks?" I gaped hysterically.

"Well…"

"Oh, jeez. Is that even allowed?" I inquired.

"Of course it is. It's fine as long as no one tries to make some terrorist attack, all is well."

"I can't believe you are keeping him from his own room!"

"No, Bella! It's not like that!"

"What do you mean 'It's not like that'?" I yelled.

"You see, he occasionally spends the night back at his own room."

"Occasionally?"

"Yes! On the nights I spend with Dan!" Yeah. Two nights.

"Who the heck is Dan?"

Rosalie groaned. "For the last time! I can't tell you!"

"Why not?" I growled.

"I just can't tell you, Bells!" Rosalie retorted.

"Why not?" I asked again.

"Because it's my life and I can do whatever I want to do, with whoever I want to do it with without having to worry about someone being nosy and butting into my personal business," she replied in one breath.

I stared at her for a long, immeasurable moment as I tried to read her expression.

"But why?" I asked weakly. "We always tell each other these things. You told me about Emmett."

Rosalie sighed, and she shifted her weight onto one leg. "I know, sis, but" – she gave a pointed shrug and moved her eyes to the floor – "things change."

I bit my lip, and my voice was quiet in defeat. "I-I know, but…I mean, don't you feel bad at all? About all these secrets, and for Jasper?"

Rosalie was immediately cheery again. "No way. Alice has him entertained, so he usually goes to Edward all happy and buoyant, ready to tell Edward everything that happened. You know, he gives us our privacy."

"But what about Edward!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms into the air. "Someone barging into his property and making him suffer with endless stor–"

"He's perfectly content, too. At least _I_ think so," she said with a nonchalant shrug.

"Doesn't Edward have a roommate?" I mumbled weakly.

Rosalie shook her head. "He was one of the lucky people who got his own room. You know, if we hadn't requested to be together, they probably would have split us up so one of us would have gone to stay with Edward," she said matter-of-factly.

I stared at her with wide eyes, still shocked with the whole situation. How they managed to do all this behind Jessica's back – or anyone's back – was a true mystery.

"You didn't answer my first qu –"

"Look, I need to go, Bells." She disappeared before I could say another word.

I ran a hand through my messy hair as the door slammed shut. Glancing down at_ Wuthering Heights,_ I sighed and tossed it onto the coffee table, the book landing with a wham.

On the couch, I brought my knees to my chest and rested my chin on top, staring at the blank TV screen. I thought particularly nothing; just stared, feeling worn out and empty.

That was until Alice bounded across the living room.

"Bella!" she sang.

I looked up and felt a warm smile split my face. "Wow, Alice, you look gorgeous!" I exclaimed genuinely as I got off the couch and dashed over to where Alice was standing.

She'd changed out of her casual clothing and appeared in a strapless, forest green, bubble dress. The dropped waist design hugged her torso, emphasizing her figure perfectly.

"Seriously, Alice, you look amazing," I said.

A smile lit her face. "Really? Do you think Jasper will like it?" She spun around in a circle and looked at me with a worried expression.

"He'll _love _it," I said sincerely. "You made this yourself?"

She nodded. "It looks good, right?"

"Incredible," I responded. "Really, this is…amazing. It looks so good on you."

She smiled. "Thanks so much, Bella." She wrapped her arms around my waist and squeezed.

"Jasper will totally freak when he sees you," I murmured into her ear, kissing her spiky hair.

"I hope so," she said as she stepped back and ran her hand over the fabric. "I really want him to kiss me." She stared at the ground in humiliation.

I grinned at her. "Don't worry, he will."

"You think so?" A bright, dazzling smile formed on her lips.

"Alice, I don't know if you know this, but you are really pretty," I said. "Besides, every time he looks at you, I could only imagine that you're the only thing he sees."

"Thanks, Bells," she chimed. Then she glanced at the clock, and a horror-struck expression crossed her face. "Oh, crap!" In a split second, she was gone. About several minutes later, she stepped out of her bedroom with skinny jeans on, a t-shirt with a huge penguin on it, and a black coat.

She fixed her newly disheveled hair and applied a layer of lip gloss.

"What's the rush?" I laughed as I sat down on the couch again.

Alice giggled. "I'm meeting Jasper for lunch."

"Um, Alice, didn't you buy a load of food earlier this morning so we would have a nice, long supply of food for the rest of the week?" I asked.

Alice looked at me apologetically. "Yeah…" she gave me a guilty expression before pouting. Now, when Alice pouts, they become nearly irresistible.

"Go ahead," I laughed just as a knock sounded through the door.

Alice gave a low squeal and wretched open the door.

A huge grin formed on Jasper's lips. "Alice," he greeted soothingly, his voice gentle and calm – almost hypnotic, but not in a bad way.

"Jasper," she breathed in the same tone.

They stared at each other for a long, long time, before I spoke. "Could you please do whatever you guys are doing somewhere else? A girl's trying to read here," I teased lightly.

Alice looked at me and laughed, poking Jasper's chest with a small, pale finger. "Let's go, mister."

"Will do, ma'am," he replied with the slight tint of a southern accent, shutting the door and muffling Alice's blissful laughter.

I stared at the closed wooden door with a frown. Then, I got up and went to the kitchen to eat the food bought earlier this morning.

-------o-------

Ignoring the squash of mud, I walked along the side of the mucky football field. I was wearing thick boots, so it wouldn't matter.

The sky was just a sea of clouds now, the air moist and wet, and in it lingered the fresh scent of rainwater from the previous downpour. It was around four in the evening, and the heavy clouds did suggest that it was going to rain again soon. Alice's prediction that the rain was going to last for the next several weeks seemed probable.

My cell phone was clutched in my right hand, which was tucked tightly underneath my left arm. I'd probably circled the field ten times by now. It really was a peaceful place when there weren't any screaming, sweaty boys with helmets and knee pads sprinting towards an eight-inch ball.

Alice was back in the dorm sewing and designing Rosalie's dress for a surprise, and she barely noticed that I had slipped out the door. Rosalie was still somewhere with Emmett.

I climbed onto one of the bleachers (those cheap, metal kinds that seemed to be here since there was no other place for them to be), careful not to slip and fall as I warily stepped all the way to the top one. My boots left footprints on the seats, but it really didn't matter. The rain was most definitely going to wash the mud stains away. I didn't sit down, just merely stood there and stared out at the open grassland, tracing the faded white lines with my eyes.

I'd visited this football field pretty often in the past few weeks, having felt the sudden vibe to explore around the campus, rather than the actual building areas. I remember the first day I came to this special place – I was highly amused yet shocked to know that the school had it's own football field.

Also, it felt nice to get away from the drama that encircled the halls of the school, and to escape the loud noises and annoying, devastatingly beautiful girls. When I was alone in any place, I felt better, relieved. It felt good to know that no one could judge me when I was alone; no one could criticize my outfit or be a smartass and make fun of my ordinary appearance. But I wasn't happy to be alone; loneliness gave me an empty feeling, as if something wasn't right in my life, as if I wasn't important to anyone. It was childish that I stood out here when I could interact with everyone else, though. Loneliness saddened me, but Rosalie and Alice were oblivious to it, and I intended to keep it that way. Whether it was me or the gloomy weather that caused me to feel empty inside, I wasn't sure.

I stared back at the screen on my phone and scanned the text messages from last night. After staring deliberately at the number on the screen, I hit the Call button on my phone and waited anxiously.

"_Hello?_" Jacob's husky voice traveled through, his breathing ragged.

"H-hi," I said shyly.

"_Bella?_" Even _he_ sounded surprised.

I couldn't believe I was doing this. "Yeah, it's me. Listen, about the Winterfest Dance…" He was quiet on the other line. "I…I'll go with you."

I could almost hear the smile in his voice. "_Great. Thanks, Bella. It means a lot to me."_

"You're welcome," I mumbled.

"_I'll see you around?"_

"See you around."

He hung up, and I soon followed suit.

And then I felt uneasy. What had I just done? Why did I do so? And with _Jacob Black, _the ultimate player of the school. I was immediately messing with Lauren, and yet, I couldn't feel bad about that. Lauren and Jacob deserved each other, and I was standing in the way. But who cares? Lauren deserves Jacob for all the guys she'd left behind. Jacob deserved Lauren for all the girls he'd had one night stands with. I was going to be one of them, I realized with a pierce of dismay. Oh, what had I done?

I stared back at the phone in my hand, but for some reason couldn't get myself to cancel the date. Was this because of Alice? Was this because I was driven to be as popular as she was growing to be? Was it because I wanted someone, too?

A light but chilly breeze ran through the air, causing my brown locks to splatter across my face.

I was standing still, contemplating my previous action with my thoughts running wildly in my mind, when he spoke.

"It's not good to be out in the cold for so long," Edward said.

My head snapped in the direction of the voice, and I suddenly felt self-cautious yet awed at the sight of his perfection. His full lips were twisted into a cocky yet attractive, lopsided grin, his emerald green eyes vivid and lively as ever. And, of course, his bronze-colored hair seemed to have a life of its own, sitting tousled and messy on his head.

"So you're Edward Cullen," I said with a small, timid smile. "Alice's older brother."

He chuckled, the sound so musical I actually became envious. "Isabella Swan, you talk like we don't know each other." His auburn hair looked even messier than usual. Oh, God, the way he said my name was positively appealing.

"We don't," I replied stiffly. "We never talk."

"People don't have to talk just to know each other," he murmured, so quietly that I had to strain to hear him over the roaring wind. Really, can't you talk any louder? Seeming to have read my mind, he suddenly continued in a louder voice, "The whole school knows your name, Bella. Although they know your sister's even better."

"Hmm," I replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

He stood a couple rows below, and stared up at me with a confused expression.

"You don't seem too happy about it," he noted, his expression becoming even more confused.

"Too happy about what?" I asked with a frown.

He smiled. "Your sister."

"No, I'm happy for her."

"You're not happy for her," he accused.

"Yes, I am," I retorted, crossing my arms across my chest exasperatedly. He sighed, but didn't say anything. "What are you even doing out here?" I muttered, looking away from him.

"Avoiding Lauren." He cracked a smile. "And Tanya, Jessica, and your sister."

"_My sister_ has a name," I muttered.

He laughed. "Fine. I was avoiding Lauren, Tanya, Jessica, and _Rosalie_. So I came out here, hoping to avoid everyone. That didn't happen." He gestured at me, and I glowered at him.

"Tanya's your girlfriend," I said.

"And?"

"And you shouldn't be avoiding her because you love her," I said matter-of-factly.

His smile turned into a conceited grin. "I don't love her."

"Fine. Because you like her."

"I don't like her either." Too much like a player.

"Let me guess. You're going to ask me out aren't you?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

He shrugged. "Sure. Wanna go out with me?" He pressed his lips together to keep from laughing.

I scowled at him. "Jerk."

"I'm serious," he said, the corners of his lips twitching.

"Jerk," I repeated, although I was slightly flattered. But I knew better than to believe these cocky boys; I tried to keep my poker face. "You have a girlfriend, and you're cheating on her."

"So?" he mused.

"_So,_ I think you shouldn't," I hissed, glaring at him.

Edward seemed hesitant for a moment before he spoke again. "She already cheated on me." There was that soft murmur of his again.

My glare turned to a frown while his lips turned up into a crooked grin.

"I was walking to her dorm to surprise her with a movie night, but I saw her making out with Eric." He didn't even look shaken by it, or even devastated in any way.

"And when did this happen?" I asked suspiciously.

"Two nights ago," he said with a shrug. "I don't really care. I'm just waiting for her to tell me so that I can dump her."

"Why don't you just dump her right now instead of asking another girl out?"

He shrugged again. "I don't like being single for any amount of time," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

My sympathy quickly turned to hatred. "Jerk," I said for the third time as I hopped down the rows of bleachers and passed him. Unfortunately for me, one, the bleachers were wet from rain, and two, my shoes were covered in slippery mud.

"Oh!" I gasped as I fell backwards and, of course, into Edward's arms. He smiled down at me.

"You are really clumsy, you know," he said while I fought against the slipperiness to regain my balance.

"Never heard that one before," I grumbled, standing up properly again, with, I'll admit, a little bit of his help.

I flattened out my jeans, glared at the sky, and tried to make a dramatic exit, only tripping again.

A quiet squeak slipped passed my lips as I slipped and felt Edward's hand around my arm, steadying me. Dammit, of all times to be disgraceful, it had to be in front of Edward. Twice.

Edward laughed musically from behind me. "Do you want me to carry you down? I'm amazed you even got up to the top."

"Shut up," I muttered as I hopped down onto the ground, staggering slightly when I landed.

He just laughed again and sat down on the bleachers next to where I was before.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked, trying to mask my disappointment.

He shook his head. "I'm going to stay out here for a little longer."

"But why? Dinner is coming soon," I pouted.

Edward smirked and eyed the dorm buildings. "It's a hell in there. Rosalie and Lauren are bribing, flirting, and threatening to get votes from people. It really isn't a pretty sight right now. I don't think I've ever seen so many cupcakes in my life."

I narrowed my eyes at him, but didn't move from where I was standing. "Describe it."

He looked thoughtful for a minute. "Bella, I'm going to be completely honest with you here. Unless you want to watch Rosalie and her followers and Lauren and _her_ followers pummel each other to dust while tying to obtain votes for Winter Queen, I don't suggest you go back inside."

I opened my mouth to talk, but he interrupted me.

"And unless you want to stumble among the _possibility_ of Rosalie and Emmett or Jacob and some random girl going at it behind closed doors, I don't recommend you go in there. Also, I don't think it would be very amusing to watch Alice and Jasper secretly do each other through their eyes. Rather odd, if I do say so myself."

The matter-of-fact look on his face made me freeze and actually contemplate what he'd said. I inwardly frowned; of course he knew of the secret affairs.

Staring at him wide-eyed, I said, "You're lying."

"No, I'm not," he said thoughtfully. "Go see for yourself. It's amazing how bad authorities can be here. So you can either go back there and watch your friends and enemies have sex and call each other colorful names, or stay here and we can explore the exciting world of Central Parkway Boarding School from an outside perspective together."

We stared at each other for a full two minutes, me deciding whether he was lying or not. He looked completely serious the entire time he spoke, while my face traveled through several different emotions. While he thoughtfully watched for my response, I felt like he was trying to understand my bitterness, something even _I_ couldn't comprehend.

After a few minutes of inner conflict, I pursed my lips unhappily and dashed up the bleachers, sitting down next to him.

I stared at his handsome face for a moment before speaking. "Tell me more about the Elf Dance."

A successful smirk formed on his lips.

--  
**oh, bella why the hell did you say yes to jacob?!!?!?!**

**dont worry. its an edwardbella story. and not to worry avbout lauren, peoples, its all gonna be settled. this story is confusing, but i swear rhat oncetis finished, all the nonsense i dont get this stuff will beput into place xD**

**and FINALLY. Edward is in the story. idk about this edward, i sorta like him. hes fun to have argue with bella. xD**

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	8. It's Very Manly of Me

**okay. chapter 7! can i PLEASE get at least 100 reviews? okay. thats asking for alot. but hey, a girl can dream ;)**

**yep so. this is conitnuing after chapter 6, like right on the bleachers still. Edward's charactyer is srtill undecided, and in chapter 6 and this hcapter, we get to see two different sides of him. a conceited one, and more of a...err...nicer, cuter one? lol. you read and you decide.**

**i usually never up[date twicd in a weekend, but i got excited. xD**

**anyway, please read, and drop a review :D**

**--  
**

**CHAPTER 7 – It's Very Manly of Me**

"How did you know my favorite color constantly changes?" I asked with a suspicious yet awed tone.

Edward squirmed in his seat, but kept his face perfectly composed. "Lucky guess."

"Well," I sighed, still evidently skeptical with his response. "You are a very good guesser."

At this, he smiled crookedly, and I couldn't help but notice how _attractive_ it was…

Edward and I had spent the last twenty minutes firing questions – well, Edward was firing them, I was only responding – at me, although they were basic and simple such as favorite flower and color. It amazed me how much Edward knew about me, and he seemed to guess right on my favorite flower and favorite food (freesia and ice cream).

"Can we _please_ stop talking about me?" I finally pleaded as Edward laughed. "I feel like a self-centered, egotistical maniac. Tell me something about you."

Edward grinned. "You are not self-centered or egotistical," he assured me, patting my arm lightly. "And about me? Hmm. Well" – he looked thoughtful for a minute – "I like women."

"You disgust me."

He laughed. "I was kidding, Bella. But I do like…"

"Having a thousand girlfriends at once?"

He nodded.

"Player," I muttered.

"Self-centered, egotistical maniac," he replied in the same tone.

"Hey!" I smacked his shoulder and glared at him. "You just said I wasn't."

"I said it for argument's sake_, and _for the sake of making fun of you."

My brow furrowed, and I looked away from him. "That's what everyone does here," I muttered bitterly as I rubbed my thumb over the suede of my beige boots.

Edward immediately sensed my distaste. "No, Bella, I didn't mean it in a serious w–"

"I know," I sighed, looking up at him. "I just hate it here."

"Why?" His green eyes were instantly filled with concern.

"Oh, here we are going about me again," I moaned.

Edward grinned. "Alright, Bella. I'm Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, brother of Alice Cullen, born on June 20th, 1991. I'm a junior at CP Boarding School, and in free time, I like to play the piano." He raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at me. "Good enough?"

"Better," I confessed.

He smirked. "Sure. I basically gave you a very vague, oral profile on myself."

"Yes, and I was the listener," I agreed.

"So, why do you hate it here?" he pressed.

I averted my eyes from his and gazed down at the hands on my lap. "It doesn't matter."

"Bella, if something is bothering you, I really think it does."

I looked up at his troubled yet beautiful face. Why did I hate it here? It suddenly occurred to me that I had no solid answer, not for myself, not for him, not for anyone. I wasn't even sure I hated this place, and yet so little time had flown by. There were many things to like and hate about it, though, but I couldn't list any specifically, with the exception of Lauren. But when I did say that I didn't like it here, a feeling of resentment coursed through me. So I really didn't like it here, which was what instinct told me. Wait, what? _Great._ Now I was confused by my own thoughts.

I bit my lip, frowning even more as my thoughts turned frantic and jumbled. "I…don't know. I don't know why. I just do."

Edward pressed his lips into a thin, grim line, his eyes searching my face for a long moment. I made my expression perfectly composed.

He sighed and let it go, but I knew he wasn't happy with my answer.

It was quiet while we looked everywhere but at each other.

I broke the ice. "Who's your favorite artist?" I asked nervously, trying to get him to talk again.

"Hm?" Edward said, looking up at me with a puzzled expression. "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening," he admitted sheepishly. "What were you saying?"

"Favorite singer or band?"

"Oh, Britney Spears, definitely," he said seriously as I howled with laughter.

"Wow, you're so _manly_," I gasped sarcastically through perpetual giggles.

Edward laughed too. "What? She has catchy songs. Admit it, Bella, it's very manly of me to admit my obsession with Britney Spears."

His confession only made me laugh harder, and pretty soon, I was doubled over in laughter and tears.

"G-good one!" I squealed as Edward chuckled, running a pale hand through his messy hair. When I'd calmed down, I looked at him with a serious expression. "No seriously, who's your favorite artist?"

He looked at me with a perplexed expression, his bottom lip slightly jutting out in a pout. "Britney Spears," he repeated innocently, his brow furrowing in confusion.

I snorted, and he clamped a warm hand over my mouth to muffle my laughter. I inwardly stifled a gasp; his hands were so warm compared to my ice cold ones…

"It's not very nice of you to laugh at me, Bella," he scolded as I snuck a glance at him, highly amused. "A guy has his secrets. And to answer your question in a more un-feminine way, I like Lifehouse."

I smiled against the palm of his hand and watched as he grinned, flashing his perfect white teeth.

"Lifehouse rocks," I giggled.

"Oh, and Escape the Fate," he added as I frowned.

"They're too loud and screamy for me," I sighed. "But Muse is cool. I like their darkish genre."

Edward grinned. "Sure." He then stared at me speculatively. "What? You don't like the Jonas Brothers?"

"You don't like Hannah Montana?" I snapped indignantly. "The Jo Bros are low class and stupid," I huffed firmly, and Edward cracked a smile. "Although Joe is kinda cute," I blushed.

It was Edward's turn to snort. "C'mon, I'm jealous, Bella. I'm hotter than him, right?" He pressed a pale hand against his chest and raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"Of course!" I blurted before I could stop myself. Then I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

Edward's joking expression became softer and a smile formed on his lips again. "Thank you. I feel so much better."

We talked for a few more minutes. I was brightly telling him about Charlie when my cell phone vibrated in my pocket – 1 new text message.

"Oh, Alice texted me," I murmured as Edward gazed at the gray sky. I noticed that the clouds were getting really heavy – rain was going to come soon.

I stared at the screen and inhaled, then exhaled slowly.

_Bella, I'll be coming home super late tonight. Jasper's taking me to dinner and he said he has some plans for me (squeal) and yeah. Worse comes to worse, he might spend the night at our dorm. Is that alright?_

_Alice_

Edward must have noticed something in my expression, for he spoke in a worried tone. "Is everything alright?"

"Um, yeah," I said, responding to her text with a _Sure, if that's what you guys want _and then a smiley face. "She asked if Jasper could spend the night."

"Really?" Edward murmured, his tone abruptly full of disapproval. "Are they…ya know…sharing a bed?" he pressed, straightening up a bit.

I stared at him with wide eyes, my expression completely and utterly horrified. "I don't know! You think I would know?"

"Well, _do_ you know?"

"No!" I exclaimed immediately. "Are you out of your mind? I don't go around spying on them with tape recorders and cameras!"

Edward bit back a laugh at my expression. He ran a hand nervously through his hair.

"And if they _do_ share a bed?" I raised an eyebrow at him and watched as he pressed his pale lips together.

"Well…I suppose it's…" – his voice was undeniably strained – "…_alright."_

I rolled my eyes. "You should be happy. One person less to worry about."

Edward narrowed his eyes at me. "You know Jasper has been spending nights at my dorm?" he asked.

"Well, duh," I said with a shrug.

"And about Rosalie's affair with Emmett?"

"Yep," I said. "Apparently you do too." Then I sighed. "Last time I checked, we were in high school. Not the real world. I mean, who here is pure and kindhearted?" I whined.

"Angela Weber," Edward said.

"Hmm…that's a good one, yes," I agreed.

"Luke Norman," Edward added with a small frown. "I don't like him much. He's a nerd."

"Edward, just because someone is smart –"

"No, I mean stereotypically," he interrupted, his eyes boring into mine. "He wears big geeky glasses," – he made big circles around his eyes with his hands to emphasize his point – "his pants go way above his waist, plaid button-up, and I swear his head is so heavy because of the pounds of gel on it."

"You're so mean," I mumbled weakly.

Edward cracked a smile. "You're going to laugh."

I pressed my lips tighter together. "No. No I'm not." I shook my head furiously.

"Yes, you are," Edward smirked.

"N-no," I said solemnly.

His smile was fixed as he leaned down, his face just inches from my own. Up close, his eyes were so…_green._ And depthless. They were strangely hypnotic, but in a good way, like I could stare into them for eternity and still not find an end to pools. I found myself getting lost, unfortunately.

Edward's smirk widened. "Now, Bella, are you ticklish?"

"Mmm…yeah…" I said dreamily, my eyes still lost in those deep green pools of his. So lost, that I gave a good, loud shriek when he tickled my stomach.

"Oh!" I squeaked as I writhed and giggled. "Stop!"

His hands found their way to my neck and he tickled me over and over, a bright smile on his face.

"E-Edward!" I squealed, unable to keep from laughing as I tried to push his hands away. I really was ticklish. Everywhere. "Oh, stop! Do you want me to fall off the bleachers?" I gasped, my cheeks bright red – from laughter or from embarrassment, I wasn't sure.

Edward's hands were immediately gone, and I sat upright as I tried to control my breathing.

Edward chuckled lightly beside me. "You _laughed!_" he accused smugly, pointing a long finger at me.

I forced a glare, although it faltered, for his smile was contagious. "Only because I had no choice!"

"You are _so_ ticklish," he mused as I crossed my arms across my chest and rolled my eyes.

"Thank you," I replied icily.

Edward stopped smiling, although his eyes were glistening with humor.

"Really, had you not seen that coming?"

I chewed on my lip, looking at him from my peripheral vision. Refusing to confess how hypnotic and deep and green and pretty and green and depthless (did I mention green?) his eyes were, I settled with, "I'm oblivious."

The smile was back on those flawless lips of his. "Hmm…" He looked thoughtfully at me. And then, he leaned down again, and I couldn't help but stare at his faultless features. All too soon, my gaze was trained right on his smoldering eyes.

"If I told you I hated you, would you believe me?" he mused.

I didn't even register what he said. "Hmm? Sure," I replied breathlessly. My heart was doing flips in my chest.

I moved my gaze down to his lips, which were twisting into my personal favorite crooked smile. Damn, I scolded myself, now I was having personal favorites?

"Then you are much too gullible," he answered softly, his sweet breath filling my nose.

I sighed deeply and uttered some incoherent sounds, trying to formulate something in my mind and coming with absolutely nothing. That was just fantastic.

In fact, my breathing was indisputably erratic, my heart was still doing flip flops, and I was slightly flattered to see that Mr. Cullen here was having trouble breathing too. I so desperately wanted to kiss him, the urge similar to that in biology on my first day here. His lips were full and err…I suppose, kissable? Although I had the desire, I didn't move a muscle, nor could I have even if I wanted to. His stare froze my bones and put my heart at full speed.

I could assume he was as engrossed with me as I was with him since we both jumped when the chorus to "Reach Out" by Hilary Duff rang loudly through the air.

Edward grimaced, and his liquid eyes turned hard as he brought the phone to his ear. I immediately missed the warmth and affection that once lingered there.

"Hey," he said into the phone as I looked away from him, hyperventilating. "…baby," he quietly added a second later. I snuck a glance in his direction to find him pinching the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb.

"Tanya, you know I don't like it when you call me that," he sighed, closing his eyes. "Alright, I'll be there. See you later…hon."

I quickly averted my gaze the moment Edward turned to stare at me, his expression blank.

"You have to go," I mumbled, glaring at the gray sky, which was darkening by the minute.

Edward sighed again. "Yeah. Tanya wants me to spend the night with her. Starting now."

"Cool," I replied impassively, composing my expression as I moved my eyes back to his face. "Go have fun with her."

He pursed his lips unhappily. "Bella…"

I rolled my eyes at him and grinned. "Don't 'Bella' me. And don't give me that look. She's your girlfriend, and she wants to be with you. So go be with her."

Edward opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and pressed his lips together. After articulating a couple of incomplete sounds, his brow furrowed and he stood up, trudging gracefully down the seats of the bleachers.

At ground level, he stood still for a moment before turning around to look at me.

"It was nice talking to you, Bella," he said genuinely.

I responded with a smile, but didn't say anything.

Edward's cheery expression faltered and he gazed up at the sky. "You should head back to the dorms. It's going to rain soon. I'll see you later?"

"See you later."

Edward stood for another moment, his expression concerned, and then he moved his gaze back to my face. "By the way, Bella, you are pure too, you know," he said. "Please keep it that way."

With one last dazzling grin, he broke into a graceful jog across the field towards the quad and school buildings.

I stared at his figure until it was too small and too far away to be seen. A feeling of emptiness fell upon me again, and it was nothing but loneliness. Even Edward had someone to go to. Alice was too preoccupied with Jasper, and Rosalie was too fussed up with Emmett and Lauren drama. Angela was busy with Ben, and even Mike wasn't that great, having this sort of thing for Jessica. I was a loner.

It took me a while to realize that the rain was pouring again, the newfound grass muddy and wet. My hair was drenched; my clothes were soaked as I carefully hopped down from the bleachers. Unfortunately for me, I slipped on the wet, mucky grass and cursed for two reasons: one, because I was too uncoordinated that I had slipped and fallen into the mud, and two, because Edward Cullen wasn't there to catch me.

-------o-------

"_Hey, Bells," _Charlie said, and I could almost imagine the cheerful smile on his face, laugh lines planted on the corners of his brown eyes.

"Hey, Dad," I replied. "Sorry for calling; you must be exhausted."

"_Nah, it's so good to hear from you again. How is everything? How's Rosy?_" I stifled a laugh. If Rosalie were here, she'd have yelled at Charlie for calling her that.

"She's fine," I said. "And we met some new people here. Alice. She's a really nice, adorable girl. Really creative, too."

"_That's good. I'll have to meet her sometime. How's Beverly Hills? Change of environment must be nice for you."_

"Yeah, it's great; a lot of rich kids around," I said, playing with the hem of my shirt.

Charlie chuckled. _"Hey, you remember your friend Seth, Seth Clearwater? He's halfway done with sophomore year now."_

I laughed, although I really did miss Seth. The gangly fifteen-year-old boy with tousled black hair was just plain fun to be with. I looked at him as my younger brother and would do just about anything to protect him.

"Just like how I'm halfway done with junior year."

Charlie chuckled again. "_True. So, you, uh, you find any boys you like?"_

"Yes," I said instantly, an image of Edward popping into my head. What the hell? "I mean, no! Of course not! I…not really. A lot of them…are womanizer-type people." I gave myself a slap in the face.

"_Oh, well you be careful, Bella. Wait until college, when men have finally matured themselves."_

I laughed sheepishly. "Yeah. Okay. So how is work coming along? Win any trials?"

"_Yeah, just a couple. You know, one guy was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for murdering his wife. And another man was sentenced to ten years in prison for raping a sixteen-year-old girl. You need to be careful out there, Belly."_

"I will, I promise. I mean, Central Parkway has a pretty safe campus, I suppose." I sighed, and then moved my eyes to the ceiling of the living room. "I miss you; I miss Forks too."

"_Aww, I miss you too, Bells. But don't worry; you can come over in the summer, and we'll hang out with the Clearwaters and make root beer floats just like the old days. And then you can meet So–"_

"Dad?" I asked, sitting up wit a frown. "You there?"

I heard Charlie sigh, and the tone in his voice was instantly different – businesslike even. _"Listen, Bells, I have another call from Billy. He's assigned me another case to work with. I'm sorry, hon, but I need to go."_

I chewed on my bottom lip. "Oh, okay," I said. "Well, good luck."

_"Bye. Love ya, Bells."_

"Love you."

I heard the dial tone.

My frown deepened. Who was "So-", for Charlie hadn't finished his sentence? I thought for a moment, and couldn't come up with anyone I knew whose name stared with a letter S besides Seth.

--  
**ARE YOU CONFUSED _NOW_?**

**lol. dun worry. if your lost, i can guarantee all will be solved eventually. but meanwhile, any guesses on Dan and So-? xD. its pretty obvious, but if you dont get it, its okay. i probabkly wouldnt either. im an idiot :D**

**and i frogot what seth looked like, but just go with me for now. xDDDD and btw, i can promise you no raping is going to happen. x_x raping scares the heckout of me xD plus, joe is the singer for the jonas brothers right? speaking of them, i have nothing against them, okay? so dont shoot me if your a jo bro or hannah montana fan. it was just seomthing bella and edward happent o stumble ovrer. :D  
**

**anyway, PLEASE PLEWASE REVIEW! :D 100 reviews, please? pwease? i suck. lol just review, and ill still love ya. xD  
**


	9. You Bet Your Girlfriend

**PEOPLE! chapter 8! i had sooo much ufn writing this chapter. i was like grinning. sriously. but its probably not even as great as i THINK it is. but o well, SOMETHING happens. better someting than nothing, right? note: once again, sorry if its corny. tried to not make it corny. but yeah. anyway. yeah. and the beginning is kinda filler, but you cna read it still. xD  
**

**thnaks for your reviews for my story, thank you thank you thank you!! :D**

**now, read please. AND REVIEW!**

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**CHAPTER 8 – You Bet Your Girlfriend, I'll Just Go Stand over There**

I looked at my cell phone screen, and the time shown was only nine. I'd already watched two movies and devoured one bowl of popcorn. I snuck a peek at _Wuthering Heights_ and sighed, not really having the vibe to read.

My thoughts drifted to the things we'd bought from Christmas shopping, and I realized I still needed to wrap those up. Standing up, I trudged into Alice's room and picked up the shopping bags and wrapping paper, which was piled neatly in the corner of her room. Bringing the items to the floor of the living room, I sat down and began wrapping the things I'd bought. Alice had specifically said she wanted to wrap the things she'd bought on her own, so I put everything she'd purchased back into the shopping bag and returned them to their proper spot.

All too soon, I was done wrapping the gifts, and I stared around at my work smugly. Picking up the boxes, I set them on the floor of my bedroom beside the wall, knowing full well that I wouldn't forget them there. Then I sat down on my bed and stared around. Hmm…my eyes locked on the messenger bag tossed carelessly beside my nightstand. I could study; two finals in the upcoming week. But on a Saturday night? Really, Bella?

I pursed my lips and exited my bedroom, wandering around to the kitchen. After downing a plate of lasagna, a bag of Doritos, three Oreos, and two cups of water, I found myself standing in the middle of the living room again, right back where I started. Glancing at the clock, I grimaced - 9:37; apparently, I wrap gifts too quickly, and I shouldn't starve myself. I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed angrily, pacing around the room.

I sauntered over to my bedroom and pulled out my iPod. At first I listened to Taylor Swift songs, getting more irritated at how, even through shuffle, her lovey-dovey songs like "Our Song" and "Love Story" kept popping up. With a low growl, I switched to Lifehouse, only to see that the first song at the top of the list was "You and Me." Beyond agitated, I switched to Motion City Soundtrack and jammed "Lgfuad" as high as it could go. I fell back onto my pillow and closed my eyes, repeating the song over and over until I memorized the lyrics. I was slightly annoyed by how happy the guy sounded when he sang it, though.

Looking at the clock next to my bed, I was plain frustrated – 9:59. I flipped onto my stomach, pulled out my earphones, and narrowed my eyes at the bright numbers on the alarm clock, willing them to change into one ten and two zeroes. If the clock had eyes, I would have been absolutely sure we were engrossed in some sort of staring contest. After what seemed like eternity, it was finally 10 PM. Hmm. An hour, not bad.

I hurried into the bathroom and changed into pajamas, taking out my contacts and brushing my teeth and all. After tossing my clothes into a laundry basket, I walked back into my room and sat down on the bed, staring around with an unhappy expression. I crossed my legs and sighed, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket. I considered calling Alice for the sake of boredom, but I didn't want to interrupt her date with Jasper. Rosalie wouldn't be too happy if I disrupted her time, and she probably wasn't even with her purse at the moment.

I fell back onto my pillow again and threw my arm over my eyes, groaning very loudly.

After about ten minutes of just laying there, I started humming "Lgfuad" quietly, although I sounded like dead cat that got run over by a monster truck playing polka/hippie music.

Eventually, I stopped humming and stared up at the ceiling, feeling extremely bored. And eventually, I must've dozed off sometime, because when I gained consciousness again, I glanced at the clock and saw that it was around nine in the morning.

After taking a long, soothing shower, and I pulled on grey skinny jeans – courtesy of Alice – and pulled a black sweatshirt over my white tank. I carried on with my morning necessities, like putting on contacts and brushing my hair and doing light tabs of make-up, that sort of stuff.

It was around ten-thirty when Alice exited her bedroom with Jasper following lightly behind, both of them dressed and ready for the day. I was sitting in the kitchen surfing YouTube, and looked up when they appeared.

"Good morning," I said calmly, moving my gaze back to the song cover for "Bubbly" I was watching. "I made some waffles."

"Morning Bells," Alice said as Jasper smiled serenely and waved. I caught her smiling up at him out of the corner of my eye, and then I watched as he smiled back, leaned down, and gently kissed her forehead, then her nose, and then her…lips.

I cleared my throat after a couple more minutes of their kissing.

Alice giggled while I rolled my eyes. "Go eat breakfast you two," I scolded playfully.

Alice looked at Jasper for a moment, and they shared a silent conversation through their eyes, which I tried to comprehend, but couldn't. So instead, I started surfing YouTube again.

Before I knew it, Alice was kissing Jasper good-bye and walking him out the door of the dorm, and then she was right next to me, propped lightly up on the table, her feet swinging back and forth blissfully.

Her cheeks were stained a bright red as she squealed, "I like Jasper so much!"

"Gee, there's a shock," I laughed sarcastically. "Glad to see it's working out for you."

Alice grinned excitedly. "Want to know what we did yesterday?"

"Sure," I answered, looking up from my laptop.

Alice dismissed my not-so-interested expression and spoke cheerfully while nibbling on the corner of a waffle. "Okay, so he first stopped by our dorm, and you know, you were out somewhere while I was busy sewing Rosalie's dress. And then, I opened the door and was all like 'oh my God, Jasper!' right? So anyway, he's all like, 'Surprise, Alice!' and he holds up this huge bouquet of a dozen roses! Attached to it is this adorable card that says, 'Twelve roses for twelve reasons why I adore you.' And then he starts listing them off! So first, he said, it was because I was beautiful, and then he said I had an amazing smile. I was totally and completely flattered by that. Next he was all like, 'I like how bubbly you are.' Or was it quirky that he used? I don't remember, but anyway it was something along those lines. He continued on to say…"

She continued on and on about her night, pacing around the room and doing a bunch of hand motions to be more vivid on her experience. She buzzed about the first kiss they shared, explaining her thoughts and feelings while describing what the kiss was like, her cheeks bright red and adorable. All the while, a wide, happy smile was plastered onto her face that I was afraid it might be stuck there forever. Her blue-green eyes remained sparkly and bright the entire time she spoke, and I, being the supportive best friend, nodded and cooed every time it was necessary. Eventually, after about two hours of gushing and dishing, she left to go finish the rest of Rosalie's Winterfest dress with a huge grin on her face, and I was left, once again, with nothing to do.

-------o-------

"You look awfully tired," I commented lightly as Edward plopped down on the bleachers next to me. Purple shadows were under his eyes, and his hair was even messier than usual.

"Don't remind me," he sighed as he rested his elbows on his knees and brought his head to his hands.

"Mmm," I replied casually.

We sat speechlessly next to each other for three minutes before I spoke.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Nope."

"Hmm," I responded. I thought for a moment before continuing. "Well, my night was perfect."

He peeked up at me through his fingers. "Really?"

"Sure. I did nothing while my best friend and sister went out with their boyfriends," I spat grumpily.

Edward didn't say anything, so I kept going.

"Yeah, and then Alice got the kiss she wanted while Rosalie enjoyed Italian breadsticks. You know, for being Jacob's date to the dance, I still feel like a nitwit," I muttered sourly.

"Whoa wait," Edward said, straightening up and staring at me. "You're going to the dance with Jacob?"

I shrugged. "Yeah."

"Jacob Black?" he confirmed.

I looked down and then back up at him again. "Well yeah. Do you know any other Jacobs?" I muttered with a sigh. "I might cancel though."

"Why is that?"

"Dunno. He and I never talk, and it's not like we hung out before," I mumbled, but then a frown creased my forehead. "Hmm…maybe canceling wouldn't be such a good idea though. If I cancel," I ranted to myself, "then I might actually end up having to eat caviar all by myself," I said logically, a pout forming on my face. "Not good…not good…"

Edward coughed beside me, and I looked up at him to find that he had his lips pressed into a tight line, the corners twitching in an effort to hide the smile.

I glared at him, and he just smirked.

"Bella, they don't even have caviar at the dance," he said as if that was the moral of life. His smile widened.

I rolled my eyes and exhaled heavily. "The only reason why I'm going with him is because of Alice."

"Alice?" Edward asked curiously, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah. She's going with Jasper, Rosalie's going with Emmett; Alice wants me to come too. Besides, I already spent one Saturday night alone. I don't plan on being alone Christmas Eve. That would just be stupid," I muttered.

Something flashed in his eyes.

"So you're spending Christmas Eve with Jake?"

"Looks like it," I sighed, running a hand through my hair as a heavy wind picked up.

When he didn't respond, I moved my gaze to his face and saw him scrutinizing my expression, his eyes slightly narrowed as if he was deeply focused.

"What?" I asked, feeling self-cautious under his penetrating stare.

His green eyes were hard, his jaw rigid. "I don't think that's a very good idea," he said disapprovingly.

I frowned. "What's not a very good idea?"

"You spending the night with Jacob Black."

"What's it to you?" I questioned, unable to keep the annoyed tone out of my voice. Besides, who said I was spending the night with him anyway? It's not anything ever happened between us. And I was still left to wonder what Lauren was going to do when and if she were to find out…it would happen eventually.

Edward pursed his lips. "Well, I honestly don't think he's good enough for you," he said matter-of-factly.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not dating him, don't worry." I patted his arm in reassurance. "Just going to the dance with him."

"Bella, he can be very demanding, and is _not_ a good boyfriend," Edward said sternly. "Besides, he's been known to seduce every girl he's dated! Sorry to say, but he's triple your size and triple your weight. There is no way in hell you can stop him."

I sighed, rolling my eyes at his obnoxious exaggerative manner. "First of all, I'm not dating him," I muttered, rolling my eyes again. "Secondly, not to worry." I smacked his shoulder wholeheartedly. "If anyone is injuring anyone, it's going to be me landing him in the ER with two broken feet 'cause of my horrible dancing skills," I said, trying to brighten up the situation. It didn't work. "Edward, he's the only guy that asked me" – with the exception of Mike, I added silently – "and besides, Alice's sake, remember?" I protested with a pout.

His lips twitched in amusement, but it was quickly masked with disapproval. "And Lauren?"

I pursed my lips; I hadn't really thought that part over in detail… "I could deal with her." _Pssh, yeah right_. "It's just Lauren," I added rather weakly.

"'It's just Lauren,'" he quoted incredulously, raising his eyebrows at me. "Bella, seriously. He's not good enough for you," Edward retorted.

I glared at him. "I'm flattered that you think so highly of me."

"Hmm," he responded calmly, although his eyes were fierce. His expression was anxious while he said, "Bella, remember that conversation we had about pure and kindhearted people?"

"Yep," I answered, refusing to look at him.

"And remember the people we named off?"

"Sure," I said simply. "Angela Weber. Luke Norman."

Edward waited a couple seconds to see if I would continue, but when I didn't, he sighed. "You're forgetting someone rather important," he said, his silky voice edgy and impatient.

I didn't reply, just glared at the field of grass.

I jumped when I felt his index finger under my chin, turning my head to face him. And when I looked at him again, I noticed his eyes seemed concerned, angry, and confused all at once. When he was absolutely sure I wouldn't avert my gaze from his, he moved his finger quickly, although his eyes were still glued to mine.

"You, Bella," he murmured. "Three people. Of the entire school. I don't want you getting sucked into _my_ world," he said meekly.

My brow furrowed. "I'm already _in_ your world…" I said, confused by his analogies or metaphors or whatever he was doing to me. These damn Cullens.

He exhaled slowly, momentarily moving his gaze to the side before bringing his emerald eyes back to mine. "No, Bella," he breathed sadly, shaking his head so that a lock of bronze fell into his eyes. "_Lauren _is in my world. Tanya. Emmett. Your sister. _Rosalie_, is in my world…" He paused, as if deciding what to say next, and then he breathed, "And I don't want you in it."

I blankly stared at him for the longest moment, repeating his words over and over in my head. In the end, I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to feel thankful, scared, or hurt. I had opened my mouth a couple times to try and say something in response to his ultimatum, but simply nothing came out. Really, what could - or should - I say to that? Maybe an "okay" or a "you're stupid?" But I was at a lost for words.

Edward noticed that, for he gave a nervous laugh, averting his eyes from me and moving them to the cloudy sky. "You know, I did the same thing to Alice," he murmured with a bitter laugh "Told her to stay away from me. From Emmett, Jacob, and Jasper. But did she listen? No." His voice had an unmistakable edge to it.

I refrained from glaring at him. "Your sister likes Jasper a lot."

"It'll pass," he said in a sure voice.

"No, it won't," I replied confidently, surprised at how belligerent I was in defending her relationship _and _on the sudden change of topic. "I know he likes her back."

"Highly doubt it," he said instantly.

I didn't bother to conceal the glare this time, crossing my arms over my chest. "And why is that?" I growled.

Edward shrugged. "Alice is getting lost in one of those dim-witted fantasies of hers, and they happen to involve Jasper. He's going to toss her away like he did with Cassidy. And then I can go up to her face and tell her 'I told you so,'" he said matter-of-factly. "But that's not on topic. Back to –"

"You _freak,_" I interrupted breathlessly, full out glaring. "You have her whole life planned out, don't you? Last time I checked, you were her _brother._ Let the girl date who she wants."

He glowered at me, too. "I'm _older_ than her, Bella." ("By a couple of months!") "And since Carlisle and Esme aren't here, I think I have full authority over her."

"Let the girl date who she wants," I repeated, rolling my eyes.

"She's going to get hurt if she and Jasper keep together."

"I don't believe he'll hurt her," I retorted.

"I do," he immediately replied.

"Well then obviously you haven't seen the two of them together," I snapped.

"No, I haven't," he admitted. "But –"

"They are totally and completely absorbed in each other," I said assertively. "I don't doubt that at all."

"That doesn't mean Jasper will be ready to be with her in a real, stable relationship."

"So good to see how highly you think of your own friend."

Edward rolled his eyes. "I've seen it before," he said. "Cassidy wasn't happy; she was devastated. I don't want Alice like that, but it seems to me that the situation isn't in my hands anymore."

"Well, duh, it isn't!" I said. "Edward, she's seventeen now. You've been there for her as her protector – even though you're her age" – I narrowed my eyes at him, daring for him to challenge me –"for a while. But she's different now." My thoughts traveled back to earlier this morning while Alice bounced happily around describing her night. Her happiness was clearly there, and I had no skepticism in their relationship, at least not anymore.

His hands clenched into fists. "Bella, how can you say that? Two months ago, you're mind never came across the name Alice Cullen, now did it?" I didn't respond. "Yeah, I thought so," he scoffed.

"Well, two weeks ago you never noticed how happy she was after meeting with him, now did you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He just glared at me, and I responded with a smug, "I thought so."

We glared at each other for a full minute.

"Jasper likes her," I said, annunciating every word.

He leaned towards me, our faces just six inches apart.

"Wanna bet?" he asked, raising a sculpted eyebrow.

"I don't bet," I said. "Unlike you."

He grimaced, but otherwise kept his scowl, which turned into a cocky grin. "Bet my relationship on it," he said, completely ignoring my earlier response. "If you win, I break up with Tanya. If I win…" He paused, thinking, and then he looked up at me with a devious smile. "I get to kiss you wherever I want to for fifteen seconds."

My heart immediately stopped beating, and then it took off full speed. I involuntarily moved my gaze down to his mouth again, where his full lips were undeniably tempting. Then I had my moment of hysteria – wherever he wanted? I was speechless for a couple seconds before I was able to strike a comeback, my heart still fluttering uncontrollably. "Why should I care about your relationship with Tanya?"

"Because, Bella, you're always so irritated at how I do my relationships. This time around, I don't have to cheat on anyone, I know you hate that. All you have to do is win the bet." His voice was immediately alluring and seductive.

"But that would make me such a hypocrite," I sighed dramatically, pretending to be uncertain.

Edward smirked and leaned back. Then, he stood up and gracefully stepped down the bleachers again, landing on the grass with a soft thud. He turned to look at me, an arrogant expression on his face. "Suit yourself. I'm perfectly content with flirting with other girls while having a girlfriend." He started off towards the buildings.

I glowered at his figure, having the sudden intense urge to wipe that stupid, conceited grin off of his face. Without thinking, I carefully trudged down after him, landing clumsily on my stomach on the ground. I scrambled onto my feet and took off after him. Edward turned around, a smirk evident on his lips.

Devoid of hesitation, I said, "I'm in."

His smirk widened, and he leaned towards me again, his green eyes piercing.

"Bella Swan," he murmured, his eyes highly amused. "You're on." He held out his hand for me to shake, and I instantly shook it.

"All you have to do is get Alice and Jasper to say 'I love you,' to each other, and Tanya and I are over," Edward smirked. There is that stupid smirk again.

"And all you have to do" – I swallowed nervously – "to kiss me is to get them to separate," I said. "Got it? And no stupid tricks like sending some BS rumor around school."

"Yes, Miss Swan," he teased with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm still going to the dance with Jacob," I murmured haughtily, drawing my hand back.

Edward's lips turned down in disapproval while I smirked with satisfaction at his unhappiness – rude, but true.

He stared at me thoughtfully for a moment, and then said slowly and alluringly, "Alright, Bella, but if he happens to let you down, just know that I'll be there on the sidelines, waiting for you to crawl back to me so we can enjoy a beautiful dance under the moonlight while Jacob, Tanya, and Lauren all sulk in the background."

His voice was unmistakably stuck-up.

And did he just ask me to the dance?

Well, I'll be damned. This dude rendered me speechless. And confused. Yet again.

The corners of Edward's lips turned up into a triumphant grin. He leaned even closer to me, so that now our lips were a mere two inches apart, and tilted his head to the side slightly, as if he was about to kiss me. I was amazed by the electricity and desire that tugged at my heart.

"By the way," he stated softly, his sweet breath reaching the tip of my tongue, "…I happen to be a_ very_ good kisser."

My heart was beating so loudly I was almost absolutely sure he could hear it. I involuntarily leaned up towards him, desperate to destroy that static buzz that pulsed through my lips. And then Edward Cullen, being the cheat that he is, quickly leaned away from me, that same conceited grin on his lips.

"You have until January first," he said. "The deal is off immediately after one of the things occurs. Whoever wins the bet gets control of where and when they want the reward to happen, within a reasonable time period, of course. If for some reason, by January first, neither event happens, the deal is off completely. No winner, no loser."

I nodded. "Deal."

"And Bella, you have to make sure they mean it," he said gently.

"Oh, I will," I said, narrowing my eyes at him. "And you have to make sure they break up for a real reason, not some lame excuse you make up, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am."

I scrutinized his expression. "Alright."

Edward grinned. "We're good then. Best of luck, young grasshopper." He attempted to hide a smile, but failed.

I glowered at him and scoffed, "Good-bye."

I stalked passed him, tripped over my own two feet, and felt his arms encircle around my waist. I muttered a profanity at my obvious disability, and at the fact that he had to keep me from falling face-first another two feet.

Edward's lips were right by my head, his breath tickling my ear, ready to say an ultimatum.

"Remember, love, I'm an _amazing_ kisser," he whispered seductively.

"All the practice does you good," I mumbled, although inside, I was completely pumped.

Bring it on, Edward Cullen.

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**jasper and alice are sooo cutey ptootie xD**

**HAHAH! the bet is on. DUN DUN DUN! o.o im having some weird moment. anyway, i hope you guys get it. basically, edwards like "if jacob is too much for you, or hes being some freako perdon you dont like, you can come hang with me,." kinda thing to bella.**

**but anyway, i REALLY REALLY hope you guys liked htis chapter, and that its not corny like all that stuffs. and edward is such an arrogant dude. x.x**

**ALSO, i am happpyy to annoucne that chapter 9 is going to have HUGE background on edward and alice, so prepare! and i might change the date for the end of the bet. maybe, mybae not. anyway,**

** ARE YOU EXCITED FOR THE BET? i sure hope so. lol. do, in fact, wonder how things will work out....  
**

**reviews please :D**


	10. Arrogance is Bliss

**this has a lot of info on the cullens. well, most of it. but you sitll dont know some sutff. anywaty, ghope its not corny. i suspect some drama next chapter. and anyway, lovee yall. drop a review please :D  
**

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**CHAPTER 9 – Arrogance is Bliss**

"Alice, did you know your brother is an arrogant, pig-headed asshole?" I exclaimed the moment I entered our dorm.

The little pixie emerged from her bedroom, gracefully dancing over to me. "I believe I've heard that before," she said lightly, although her eyes were dark as she took in my soaking wet appearance.

Unfortunately for me, it began to rain ferociously on the way back to the dorms, and I hadn't gotten very far before I was soaked from head to toe in water. My clothes clung to my skin, and my hair probably looked like some cyclone flew through it.

Ignoring that and Alice's look of disapproval, I groaned and then began ranting. "One moment he's talking about going back in time, and then he's all 'love, I'm an amazing kisser' and the next he's like 'you're egotistical' and the next he is some guy that goes around making bets and compromises!" I gasped heatedly, waving my hands wildly and yelling whatever came to mind. "And then, he goes around with this _stupid, conceited smile_ that makes me want to punch something. Really, where is the justice nowadays?" I continued without a breath.

Alice was sitting on the granite countertop with her legs dangling back and forth rhythmically, a peaceful smile on her lips once again. "Well, that's how my brother is. He's a trickster, you know, always has been. I recommend you be careful around him. He's crafty, that one."

"He _is_," I grumbled, pacing around the kitchen. "But that _smirk_ is just _so_ annoying! Every time I see it, I want to throw a chair at him just to get it off his face! And that's saying a lot, because I am usually not a violent person. And then –"

Alice nodded calmly, her expression peaceful but concurring. "Yep. That's my brother."

" – with green eyes and auburn hair might change my mellow fellow-ness. I mean, he's so eager to go dating other girls even though _Tanya_ is his girlfriend. He doesn't even have the willpower to break up with her because he _claims_ that he doesn't like to 'be single for any amount of time." I quoted bitterly, making quotation marks with my hands.

Alice nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, that's Edward Cullen right there for you."

"And then she _cheated_ on him, and then suddenly, he thinks it's alright to go flirting with other girls!" I ranted childishly.

Alice was still nodding fervently. "Exactly. You see why I hate him."

I stopped pacing and looked at her, immediately calm again. "You hate your brother?"

Alice stared at me in disbelief, and then her expression changed to one that said "well, no duh."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Yeah. I thought you knew that, Bella."

"I know you don't like him, but I didn't think you despised him," I said lamely.

Alice rolled her eyes, shook her head, and hopped off of the counter, situating herself comfortably on the living room couch. "I don't despise him, I just hate him," she corrected firmly, a heavy edge to her silky voice.

"He's so arrogant now that it's not even funny," she muttered as I sat down next to her, staring at her curiously, although I was somewhat perplexed and wary of the sudden change in the atmosphere.

"What do you mean by 'now?'" I said slowly and cautiously, not wanting to push things too far.

"Bella," she started with a weary sigh, "before he left for boarding school, Edward and I were like this." She crossed her fingers and glared at the ceiling. "We talked and hung out, you know, and I always got bullied because of my size. That's where the whole 'Edward bullies' comes in. I usually came to him crying, and he would always know what to do. Sometimes" – she laughed bitterly – "he would bring me my favorite purple teddy bear, and then crack jokes, and I would always be laughing so loudly that Carlisle and Esme would come in just to see what the racket was. _That_ was the Edward I knew _eight years ago_."

I smiled. "He seemed like the perfect older brother."

Alice nodded with a grin. "He was. Definitely. But things change over time." She paused, and then added, "Bella, I think it's time you learn something else about me and Edward."

I stared at her inquisitively, silently asking for her to continue. Inside, I was thrilled that I was _finally _learning something else about Edward and Alice, glad that – at last – one more piece was being added to the Cullen puzzle.

Alice cocked her head to the side slightly, and then she spoke. "At first, he only bullied the people that, you know, made fun of me and all that. But then people started teasing him for having Foster parents, not biological parents, you know? And for him, that was just way too far. He got into numerous fights at school and with neighborhood boys. And those fights only made other boys more competitive." She stared at me.

"The other boys would start making bets and dare each other to get into a physical fight with Edward, and that just only made things worse," she said grimly. "Bella, Edward has a…temper. But he's really nice on the inside," she added quickly.

I smiled at her. "Alice, don't worry. Just tell me whatever you want to tell me, and I wont judge you," I promised her surely.

She stared at me for a moment, seemingly calculating my expression, before saying, "He gave a kid a black eye once when he was in fifth grade, and then in eighth grade" – she shuddered – "he got into this huge fight with some kid named Justin. And while Edward only fractured his knuckles, Justin received a broken arm, a fractured jaw, and a couple broken ribs."

I gaped at her, my eyes wide. "Oh my," I said, unable to hide my shock.

Alice nodded, and her eyes were large and an innocent. "Yeah. We were lucky that Esme and Katherine were good friends, otherwise we would have been sued." She took another moment to shudder. "And then, when Carlisle and Esme yelled at him, Edward had this huge fit. He nearly ran away! But you see, I stopped him," she said proudly. Then she added,"But not without getting hurt." She rolled up her shirt sleeve a little bit and spread her fingers out.

On the bottom half of her palm, extending down to the top part of her wrist, I saw the faded line of a scar. It was a pale pink color, and even though I was no doctor, I could tell whatever sliced through her skin went very, very deep – deep enough to need stitches. I wondered why I never noticed it before…

"Alice," I gawked, my mouth wide open, "what did he do to you?"

She shrugged. "He threw a lamp at me," she said, flashing me a casual smile, closed-mouthed smile.

I, on the other hand, could not return it. "What?" I gasped.

Alice sighed then. "Do I have to describe that for you, too?" she inquired.

I didn't respond, so she just explained anyway.

_Flashback __----------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Edward – " Esme said guiltily, but the bronze-haired teenager just stomped angrily up the stairs, muttering profanities under his breath.

"Carlisle," Esme said worriedly, tears filling her eyes. "What have we done?"

Carlisle looked strangely calm, but his eyes were still angry and his lips were pressed into a thin, tight line. He stared at the wooden staircase blankly, until a tiny pixie bounced into the room, having overheard the entire argument.

"Carlisle," she murmured in her soprano voice. "I'll go talk to him."

Esme immediately became apprehensive. "Alice, dear – "

"I'll be fine," she assured her and Carlisle. "Edward won't hurt me."

Before either of them could say anything, she gracefully dashed up the stairs to the third level of the Cullen mansion. Outside of Edward's bedroom, she pressed her ear to the door and could faintly hear the slamming of books and closet doors, as well as things being tossed all over the ground. She could almost imagine Edward stomping around the room muttering one bad word after another.

She gently knocked on the door.

"Go away, Alice," he said, and his usually silky voice was rough and angry.

Ignoring the statement, Alice pushed open the door and nearly tripped over the heaps of clothing, junk, and nonsense all over the wooden floor of the bedroom. She had never actually been in Edward's room in the past year because he had banned her from it, but now that she was in it, she desperately wanted to walk right out.

"Edward," Alice murmured gently, refraining from widening her eyes and snapping a joke at his messy room. "What are you doing?"

She eyed him carefully as he stomped around the room, a duffel bag wide open on his bed, already stuffed with clothing, a DS, flashlight, cell phone, and a lot of other things she couldn't detect.

Of course she knew what he was doing.

"Edward, don't," Alice said, her voice wavering. "Don't leave."

"Go away," Edward hissed.

"Don't leave," Alice said again, annunciating every word as she gazed around at her fuming brother. "Edward please –"

"_I said go – away,_" Edward seethed, turning his fierce eyes onto her frightened face. His tone was murderous, and the look in his eyes was livid and deadly. "Leave. Me. Alone."

"Edward, don't do this," she pleaded again. Edward continued to dash around the room throwing items into his bag. She watched him still, trying to come up with persuasive reasons. "It will hurt Esme, don't you think? Edward, you don't want Esme to –"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Edward yelled.

She didn't budge; she slipped into the room, trying to dodge the things being tossed around and making her way over to the side wall. "I will not leave you alone," she snapped, her stomach boiling with anger. "Esme is the only mother I have left, alright? So you are going to stay here and not break her heart."

"I don't give a damn for that," her brother retorted, glaring at her. She winced at his profanity, but otherwise returned with her own fierce glare.

"I honestly don't think you would want to lose the only mother you have either," she said warily. "Now give me the duffel bag. We're going to reorganize your room."

"No," he seethed. "Alice, you have no control over me. Go away."

He continued to toss things into his bag.

Alice gasped, completely ignoring the anger for a moment. "Edward, are those cigarettes?"

He ignored her.

"Answer me!" she demanded, staring at her brother worriedly. "How long have you been smoking?"

"I'm holding onto it for a friend."

"Edward, don't give me that crap. You have no friends but yourself, me, Esme, and Carlisle. Give me – is that a lighter? – Give me the lighter and cigarettes _right now_."

"No," he retorted stubbornly as he tossed them into his duffel bag and turned towards his closet.

Alice ducked and slipped around the room towards his bed, where she began shuffling through the things in it.

She grabbed the smoking necessities just as Edward turned around. "What the hell are you doing?" he yelled, running over to her and yanking at her hands.

"Give – them – back!"

"I – will – not!"

"Alice, give – them – back to me!"

"_No!"_ she yelled. "These will kill you, dammit!" she exclaimed, yanking the items back and ignoring her usage of a profanity. "Edward, what were you thinking?"

"Let go of them right now!" Edward screamed at her, ignoring her again as he yanked at her tiny hands.

"What are you going to do to me?" she yelled fiercely, pulling right back. "Are you going to punch me and break my jaw like you did to Justin?"

Edward froze, and so did she. They were both fuming, their breathing ragged and uneven with all the yelling and fighting.

Slowly, his hands slid off of hers, and she fought the triumphant smile as she clutched the cigarettes and lighter to her chest. She lithely hopped off of the bed, headed towards the opposite wall, and tucked them carefully into her pocket.

"Now that that is settled," she said calmly. "What else have you done?"

"Nothing."

She didn't believe him. She kneeled down onto the floor, shoved heaps of clothing out of the way, and knocked on several floorboards. One was loose.

"Alice, don't – "

She pulled it off and sighed, taking out its contents. "Edward, why do you keep a knife in your room?" Without waiting for an answer, she put the knife on his bedside table and pulled out another bag. "More cigarettes? Are these painkillers? And why do you have a bag of marijuana?" she gasped. "How long have these things been here?" she said, her eyes brimming with tears as she stared at her brother in complete worry.

He kept his face impassive but didn't answer her.

Alice sighed and dropped them onto the floor, standing up and putting the floorboard back in place. "I have to tell Carlisle and Esme."

"You will not."

"You can't stop me," she said. "Edward, this is serious. You could have been caught! Or killed or something. Have you being drugging yourself?"

"It – "

"Let go, Edward!" Alice interrupted, throwing her arms in the air exasperatedly. "Just get over it! Move on, for goodness sake! We don't have time for you to go sulking around about your mother and your freaking father, alright? He's in jail now, and just because he killed your mother – "

"'Just because he killed my mother?'" Edward retorted resentfully, looking dangerously close to bursting. "_He was drunk half the time I spent at home. _He was brutal, Alice, but you wouldn't understand that, of course," he said angrily.

Alice became apprehensive again. "Calm down," she said slowly. "Edward, calm down. I know. But really, would Elizabeth have wanted you to do this? You don't know what you're doing."

"I know damn well what I'm doing."

"Yeah? Well, where do you plan on going, hmm?" Alice snapped, crossing her arms across her chest. "Your friend's house? Oh, wait, you don't have any!" she yelled fiercely. "Because you are so – so – stubborn – and – mean! Stay here."

"Don't tell me what to do," he growled. "I'll find a place."

"Get a job while you're at it," Alice hissed. "You're thirteen. You can't take care of yourself. Don't act like an adult when you know you're not. Elizabeth wouldn't have – "

She cut off mid-sentence as Edward leaned over, grabbed onto the neck of a lamp on his bedside table, and chucked it right at her head.

_End Flashback----------------------------------------------------------------------_

"It was pretty convenient, the lamp being there," Alice said. "When the lamp hit the wall, the bulb and vase shattered and the pieces flew everywhere. Although I tried to avoid them, I did get cut a little," she said thoughtfully. "I tripped," Alice sighed, reproachful. "I'd run out of the way, but unfortunately, I stepped on a piece of glass with one foot and with the other, I slipped on one of his shirts lying on the floor, only then I fell backwards and as common reflex I put my hands down behind me to break my fall," she said in a rush, clearly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," I said sympathetically.

Alice just shrugged. "The bottom of my palm" – she lightly touched the top part of the scar – "came in contact with a big glass chunk of the base, so that's where it's deepest. It kind of sunk into my hand, you know, with the whole weight of the drop and all, so that's where the rest of the scar comes from – the rest of the piece. In addition to this scar is the one on my foot. And I nearly dislocated my shoulder." She grimaced and then looked distant for a minute, her eyes blank. Abruptly, she smiled at me.

"Yep, I screamed after that," she said. "It hurt."

I gave a short, nervous laugh, and Alice giggled in response.

"But anyway, Edward immediately stopped packing and became…how I should say…Oldie Edward, and sat down on the floor next to me to observe my bloody hands and feet…" she paused and thought for a moment, a frown creasing her forehead. "Hmm…maybe it _wasn't _his fault that I sliced my wrist open," she pondered quietly. Immediately, she perked up again.

"Anyhoo, my scream alerted Carlisle and Esme, and they were instantly by my side as well, and thanks to Carlisle's doctoring-ness, my hand was all better. Fourteen stitches for both," she said casually, patting the scar gently and then pulling down her sleeve.

She looked thoughtful once again, and then said, "I didn't sleep that night. I stayed up, occasionally sneaking into Edward's room to make sure he wasn't trying to run away or go smoke somewhere," she murmured ruefully.

"Good," I said appraisingly, flashing a timid smile.

She returned it with a more impressive one. "Of course, the next day was a school day, and I fell asleep in history. Mr. Connor wasn't very happy with that."

I laughed, and Alice's smile widened. "Yeah, well, that same day Edward got sent to the principal's office for stealing this kid's wallet. I think it was Justin's friend," she recalled. "Yep, and then when Justin's friend got super pissed, Edward gave him a black eye."

"Wow," I said as Alice nodded in firm agreement.

"That got him sent straight to boarding school," she said. "Edward always said that he didn't like the people in the community, so we thought change of environment would work. So now, you, he, and I are the only people that know of his past. Unless he told Jasper, Emmett or Jacob," she murmured. "Well anyway. Yep. Boarding school seems to have worked for him…somewhat. Thank goodness we didn't need to give him therapy," Alice chirped, her voice full of relief.

"Huh," I replied in a daze. "He was so…"

"Violent, I know," she finished with a shudder. "But hey, he's not so violent anymore. He's found other…interests," she said stiffly.

"But that still doesn't explain why you hate him," I murmured thoughtfully. "Aren't you mad at him at all for hurting you?"

"Nope." She made a popping noise on the 'p.' "I forgave him for that, because I was more eager to find the old Edward."

"You really loved him," I murmured.

She nodded wholeheartedly. "I loved him more than Carlisle and Esme, actually," she admitted.

"Does this mean you don't love him _now_?" I probed.

Alice looked at me sheepishly. "When I told you I love him, it was a partial truth, believe me Bella. I just…I didn't want you to think badly of me," she mumbled, looking down at her lap guiltily and fiddling with her fingers. Abruptly, she threw her head back and stared up at the ceiling. "Sorry," she said.

For some reason, as I looked at her calm, carefully composed expression, I couldn't feel mad or angry. All I felt was sympathy, and even though she cleverly disguised her remorse and anguish behind the cheerful smiles and perky cover-up, it showed in her blue-green eyes. It was clear and confirmed now. Alice had loved Edward even _more_ than Carlisle and Esme, and although I'd never met either of them, Alice had told me countless stories of their family times before. And I realized how big of an impact this was on her - her dire need of getting the old Edward back, the one that cared rather than the one right now.

Then I frowned. "So you don't love him…but you don't necessarily despise him…" I murmured as Alice turned her eyes onto me. "You need to answer questions more clearly, Alice," I scolded playfully, silently communicating that she was forgiven.

She replied with a smile, and then sighed warily. "Bella, keep in mind, we sent him to boarding school so that he didn't have to deal with all those people who mocked his biological parents – mostly his mother. Now, he sure isn't violent anymore. He is more of a sex addict who loves to flirt with girls and enjoys being an arrogant fool. He changed, but not for the better."

"So what you're saying is the result was neutral?"

Alice nodded. "The plan worked and it didn't, yes," she replied while I bit my lip, fumbling with the hem of my shirt.

"Alice, was Edward's father – I mean…was he abusive?"

Alice smiled at me. "I believe so. But I can't tell you the whole story, Bells. You're just going to have to get Edward to tell you. I've already told you everything from my viewpoint; the rest is from his," she said smoothly.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, trying to hide my disappointment.

She put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Bella," she reassured me.

We didn't speak for a few moments, but then Alice said, "Bella, in…in return for my story, c-can I learn something else about _you_?" She sounded nervous with all the stammering.

"Of course," I said instantly. Anything to get that pained expression off of your face.

Alice relaxed slightly, and a small smile formed on her face. "You've never said anything about your mom. All I know is her name. Where is Renee?"

I immediately froze, feeling the blood drain from my face. So she had noticed. Alice struck me as creative, beautiful, and intelligent, but never so perceptive. I didn't answer right away. In fact, I didn't even have a solid answer for her.

When I didn't reply, Alice quickly looked sheepish and panicked again. "You don't have to tell me," she said quickly. "I just…I'm sorry. I'll –"

"She's with Phil," I interrupted monotonously, refusing to meet her gaze. "My parents divorced when I was six. I went to live with Charlie, and Renee remarried; I haven't seen her since."

Alice cocked her head to the side. "But isn't there some legal document about the custody of a –"

"Renee didn't want me or Rosalie." Although I tried to keep my voice impassive, there was an unmistakable tone of sadness in my voice.

Alice stopped talking and stared at me sympathetically.

I sighed. "She cheated on Charlie with Phil. And she gladly signed the divorce papers."

"Oh," Alice squeaked, gently touching my arm. "I'm sorry to hear that."

I shrugged nonchalantly and smiled warmly at her. "_Please._ My story is nowhere near as exciting as yours," I teased.

Alice didn't laugh or smile at first, seemingly calculating my expression. But then, a gorgeous grin formed on her lips, and she laughed.

"It's not every day someone throws a lamp at you!" Alice said, rolling her eyes.

I laughed. "Yeah. Your situation is the now. My situation is the then. Your situation is what matters."

Alice smiled at me gratefully and threw her arms around my neck.

"Thanks, Bella," she mumbled.

"No problem, Ali," I said with a sincere smile.

Alice chuckled and leaned against the couch again, and when she spoke, her voice was abruptly demanding. "Bella, don't you dare feel sorry for Edward. If I find you giving him sympathetic looks or not snagging chances to yell at him for his 'stupid smirk,' I will replace your entire closet," she threatened seriously.

I laughed sheepishly. "Alright, deal," I said with a smile. I was making a lot of deals lately.

"Good," she grinned. "Remember, I didn't tell you anything."

I nodded, glad that the mood was once again bright and cheerful.

"Alright, now that that is settled," she said, "time to study!" Her voice was falsely enthusiastic.

**-****-**

**hope you liked it,. i split th is chapter in half. lol cuz thenext chapter was short at first, but anyway. yheah.**

**REVIEW please :) your reviews make me wann write more :D and btw, i started another human story which i havent posted :O well anyway. when i do and if i do, ill let yall know. lol REVIEW~**


	11. Find Happy in the Dictionary

**the first half of this chap was origginally part of hcapter nine, but it was really long so i cut it. but either wya, THIS chapter is just as long. lol anyway, long chapter so hope you dont get bored or find it corny, as usual. my usual hops and wishes :)**

**btw, after this lovelyy bet lol, we will be reading the story likee daily. so we'll keep a close eye on each characters actions and all that sutff. everythings sorta build up right now for the falling acion and resolution n all that random stufff for plot x.x i learned htat in english :D chapter ten kicks off right after hcapter 9.  
**

**now, read and review please :)**

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**CHAPTER 10 – Find "Happy" in the Dictionary**

"This is ridiculous!" I exclaimed, tossing my pencil onto the textbook and slamming it shut. It was only six, thank goodness.

"Bella," Alice sang as she entered my bedroom. "Hon, you've been studying for four hours straight. You might end up killing too many dendrites. Come have dinner with us."

I moaned and flipped onto my back, ignoring the fact that my worksheets and notes were flying all over the place, or getting crumpled by my weight on the bed.

"'Us' as in?" I muttered, staring up at the white ceiling.

Alice sighed. "Well, me. Just me."

I frowned and closed my eyes, wondering if Rosalie even remembered that we were going to have dinner together tonight. I highly doubted it, though, since she and I hadn't talked throughout all the hours that passed. Rather than arguing and getting all fussed up about it, I sucked it up and said, "Where are we going?"

I felt the bed shift as Alice sat down next to me. "Just the cafeteria. I want to stay nearby because I've been studying too," Alice said with a sigh. "The last two finals are tomorrow. We can quiz each other."

"Sure. Later," I mumbled, getting off the bed to go redo my messed up hair. "Give me five minutes."

"'Kay," Alice responded. I heard my bedroom door slam shut.

It wasn't too crowded by the time Alice and I arrived at the cafeteria. I loaded chow mien, cheese wontons, and steamed broccoli onto my plate while Alice dumped rice, salmon, chow mein, kung pao chicken, fried rice, and egg rolls onto hers. I will never know how she eats all of that.

"Chinese food tonight, yum," Alice complimented cheerfully as we took our usual spot in the cafeteria.

"True," I replied, popping a broccoli into my mouth and humming divinely. "Mmm," I said.

Alice looked at me with a raised eyebrow while I downed another vegetable. "You think a steamed vegetable that could pass for a miniature tree is good? Watch _me._" She took an egg roll in her hand and popped the top part of it into her mouth, biting it off and chewing proudly. "Now _that's_ what I call 'Mmm'," she said with a wink.

I laughed and elbowed her playfully.

"So," I said, trying to sound discreet. "Why aren't you with Jasper?"

Alice giggled, and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "Well, I spent the entire last night with him, so tonight I want to spend it with you."

Dang. That was a really good reason. "Thanks," I said as she smiled. "But, um, I'm sure he wants to hang out with you."

Alice shrugged. "He does. But I told him that I would be with you tonight, and then he and I will hang out tomorrow night."

"Alright," I said, although I really was happy that she was taking time to spend with me. Changing the subject, I asked, "By the way, have you seen Rose?"

Alice sighed and put down her wooden chopsticks, her eyes darting around the cafeteria, which was beginning to fill up. "Last time I saw her, she was with Haley, and they were posting up flyers to vote for Rosalie as Winter Queen. I never even knew that was allowed." She went back to eating her food.

"Oh, those bright purple papers in the common room?"

"Yep," she responded. "Lauren's is this dark, solid hot pink color." Alice shuddered dramatically.

"How unique," I mumbled.

Alice laughed and then checked her watch. "They're coming," she sang in the same tone as the first day.

I stopped chewing and stared at her strangely. "Do you time them or something?"

She smirked and shook her head. "It's just for notice. And besides, it's involuntary nowadays."

Alice was right; Edward, Jacob, Emmett, and Jasper started filing through the doors of the cafeteria, intimidating and perfect as ever as they settled at the table at the opposite corner of the room. As Edward passed by our table, we locked glances, and he gave me a surreptitious wink, a cocky smile forming on his lips.

I was abruptly reminded of the story Alice told me earlier in the afternoon, and I couldn't help but feel the pang of sympathy as I stared at his gorgeous face. I was eager now more than ever to find out what Edward was truly like behind that idiotic, pig-headed mask.

I sighed and turned to Alice. "Wonder where Lauren and her group are," I muttered sourly and somewhat rhetorically.

"There's your answer," said Mike, suddenly sitting down next to me and smiling warmly.

"Hey, Mike," I mumbled. He said a 'hi' back and gestured at the entrance, his blue eyes amused.

I followed the length of his arm and saw Lauren strutting confidently down the aisle with Tanya, Jessica, and a girl (blond hair, long legs, skimpy clothes, really pretty) I recognized from my biology class following behind her. The rest of Lauren's followers trailed behind all dressed in skimpy stuff. Along the way, Lauren ran her hand through Tyler's hair, and he whistled in response while she smiled successfully. Tanya sent a glare in my direction, and the unknown girl locked eyes momentarily with Alice's before looking away.

We watched them for a moment before Alice gasped, "_No," _beside me.

"Hmm?" I asked.

"_No_," she repeated, her eyes wide and her mouth in a little 'o.'

Mike gave a low whistle, his eyes following the girls as they proceeded to Jacob's table. "That was Heidi."

"Who?"

"Heidi Johnson," Alice replied sourly. "She's my lap partner. Look at her sitting down at their table. And next to Jasper!" Alice's hands clenched into fists, her eyes furious and livid. Then she stood up and said through gritted teeth, "I am going to walk over there and pull her _away_ from Jasper's lap if she dares to _talk to him_." She began to get out of her seat, but Mike and I quickly held her down.

Mike glanced over at Jacob's table and said, "Alice, don't worry she's not – oh wait, never mind."

I shot daggers at him as Alice narrowed her eyes at Heidi.

"Stupid, pretty, boyfriend stealer!" Alice grumbled. "Look at her! Buttering him up with her stupid Australian accent," she huffed through clenched teeth.

I, on the other hand, watched the girls curiously, ignoring Alice for a moment and frowning. "Who gets them their food?"

Mike grinned next to me. "It varies, depending on who they want to threaten. They usually go for freshmen," Mike said, gesturing at a short, skinny girl who was carrying a tray over to Lauren's table, her expression fearful and terrified. "That's Jackie."

Lauren glared at the small, innocent-looking girl. "I asked for Italian dressing, not ranch!" she gasped, gazing angrily at her salad as she shoved the tray back in Jackie's direction. "Ranch has more calories. Imagine what Daddy would say if he knew I was being fed extra calories!" She flicked her fingers in annoyance.

Jessica growled next, her nasally voice loud and demanding. "And I asked for cereal bars, not multi-grain oats!" She glared daggers. "These aren't even the right _flavor."_

Jackie looked even more terrified. "There were no cereal bars available, and the flavor you wanted wasn't either, so I was hoping –"

"Jackie, you have so much to learn," Tanya said in her silky voice, waving her phone in the air with one arm slinging her other arm around Edward's neck. Staring at Jackie in mock disappointment, she said, "Jackie, hon, you need to do a better job if you don't want the picture to go out…" Tanya sighed dramatically, eyeing her phone for a minute before moving her gaze back to Jackie's face. "You know it could kill your chances of going to Harvard. Such a shame, isn't it?"

Jackie, who readjusted her black-rimmed glasses quickly, grabbed the tray and returned to the line, tripping twice along the way. All four of the girls burst into laughter, flipping their hair incessantly and snickering as they stared and pointed at Jackie's back.

Alice huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. "At least Heidi had no participation in it," she said stiffly, eyeing the gracious, laughing figure of Heidi somewhat dubiously. Even her own voice betrayed her – she didn't believe it.

"LOOK AT HER!" Alice screamed suddenly, pointing a tiny finger at Heidi, who was running her hand flirtatiously through Jasper's hair. Jasper, who looked highly amused, just smiled, though. "That stupid – snobbish – I'll show her –" she began to get out of her chair again, but Mike and I each grabbed one of her arms.

It was then that I noticed Edward looking in our direction, a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. But his shaking shoulders gave that away, and I immediately became suspicious. At first his green orbs were locked on Alice, but when he noticed me staring, they moved to me, and I raised my eyebrows at him.

Edward stopped laughing and smirked instead, that same, conceited smirk from earlier today. I was suddenly reminded of the bet we made…

I gasped. "Oh – that stupid player," I spat, glaring at him.

He just smiled innocently at me.

Without looking away from him, I said, "Alice, why don't you go hang out with Jasper tonight? I have some…business" – I hissed the word – "I want to take care of."

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. She seemed normal again, except her lips were still turned downward.

"Don't worry," I tried to reassure her, looking at her and then back at Jacob's table, "I'm sure Jasper doesn't –" I stopped when I saw Heidi and Jasper laughing and poking around at each other flirtatiously. He was too easily persuaded; I would need to talk to him about this. I let out a breath through gritted teeth and said, "Alice, can I have your brother's phone number?" I tried to keep my voice calm.

She stopped glaring and moved her gaze back to me, her face now questioning.

"Wh –"

"Just do it, please," I interrupted impatiently.

_You are such an idiot._ I texted angrily, five seconds later.

"Jeez, Bella, you don't need to kill the keyboard," Alice muttered.

I ignored her and glanced anxiously over at Jacob's table, satisfied to find that Edward was looking at his cell phone – Blackberry, I might add.

He smiled, typed something, and then looked up at me.

I felt my phone vibrate:

_Alice looks happy._

_I'm sure you'll be just as happy as she is once I deal with you,_ I replied smugly, stuffing my phone back into my pocket.

"Who ya text-ing?" Mike asked nosily.

"My dad," I lied.  
He nodded indifferently and said, "So, Bella, want to go out for breakfast tomorrow? As friends?"

I stared at him incredulously. This was out of the blue, and this was really not the time for it. Plus, I knew his definition of friends was completely different from my definition of friends.

"Sorry, Mike, but Alice and I bought a bunch of food, and we kind of want to finish all of it," I said smoothly, inwardly fascinated by my lying skills.

His eyes dulled. "Right. Well, hey, how about the Winterfest? Wanna go together?"

"Mike, you already asked me that," I said, trying not to sound annoyed as I apprehensively watched Edward read the text I sent him.

He scratched his head, a confused expression forming on his face. "I did?"

"Yes," I answered. "Twice."

"Oh, really?" he asked.

"Yep."

"Hah. Well, third time's the charm. What do you say?"

"Can't, I'm going with someone else."

I was too preoccupied to notice the shocked expression on his face.

"What?" I snapped, turning to look at him.

Mike looked taken aback by my sudden aggressiveness, so I gently added, "– is wrong? What's wrong, Mike?"

"Oh, nothing," he mumbled, playing with his hands in his lap.

I would've pressed for more information, but I had an itchy feeling that I wouldn't like it, or that it would make me feel terribly guilty. So instead, I watched disgustedly as Tanya kissed Edward's forehead, nose, cheek, and mouth. Especially his mouth.

Next to me, Mike scratched his arm for a moment, and then said quietly, "Who are you going with?"

"Hmm?" I asked, tearing my eyes away from the couple. "Oh. Jacob."

Mike's eyes bulged. "What?!"

"What, what?" I asked, agitated.

"Jacob?"

"Yes," I said stiffly.

"_You_ are going to the _dance_ with _Jacob_?" Mike prodded, his eyes wide.

"Yes."

"Jacob Black?" he confirmed.

"Yes!" I exclaimed, highly annoyed by how similar his reaction was to Edward's. It was just one night, and everyone was overreacting. "Is there a pro –"

"Jacob Black?" Alice's shrill voice came next to me.

"Yes," I responded.

Alice shivered. "You're going with Jacob Black?"

"_Yes_!" I exclaimed. "_Yes I am going to the dance with Jacob Black!" _I huffed, and then turned beet red.

The whole cafeteria heard that.

-------o-------

"Hey, back off," Rosalie said sternly as Lauren and her clique appeared in front of me, no doubt ready to mock me again.

After my stupid, reckless shout-out to the school, Lauren has been not only mean to Rosalie, but now to me, too, and her clique of Tanya and Jessica wasn't helping. Heidi was quiet throughout the entire thing, although she smirked, laughed, and jeered when it was necessary. And although Rosalie wasn't in the cafeteria to hear my exclamation, rumor spreads. Either way, she was helping me with the whole Lauren drama. After all, Lauren was her arch nemesis, not mine. Yet.

Lauren wasn't even mad at Jacob. Either that, or she was able to work something out with him, OR she didn't show it. One of those, I suppose.

She pretended to make a sick face. "Ew. Look at that, girls. It's Rosalie Swan, the bigger sister who thinks she's momma," Lauren sang in her nasally voice.

"Hmm, that's a lot to say since you lost your boyfriend to a junior," Rosalie replied coolly.

While Lauren glared at her and they began their usual bickering, I walked to my next class with a sick feeling in my stomach – what had I done wrong? How am I going to get out of this? Those questions rang continuously throughout my day, through the Spanish foods and huge final I had on European history, the difficult quadratic formulas and icky frog dissections. I could see so many problems with the situation.

By the time lunch came around, Alice was grumpier than usual, mumbling things under her breath like "that damn Heidi" and "stupid." I was quieter than normal, and Rosalie was glaring at people so much I was afraid the glare would never be able to come off her face.

"I swear, Lauren Mallory and her _girls_ are _so_ –" Rosalie grunted during lunch as she picked at her salad from Corner Bakery. " – ugh!" she exclaimed. "Bella, I'm glad you're going to that dance with Jacob, because it gives Lauren a good kick in the face," she said smugly, popping a cherry tomato into her mouth.

I tried to smile back, but in truth, I felt no desire of going with Jacob. It was as if a light bulb inside of me died out, and I suddenly felt all guilty and disgusted with myself. I was stupid. I didn't know what the hell I was thinking.

Lauren's jeers and Jacob's obvious carelessness on what I did and didn't do annoyed the hell out of me, and even Edward would give me an "I told you so" look every now and then, implying how "rational" his reaction to my being Jacob's date was. But really, it was only one night. One _Saturday_ night. And it annoyed me how I could never land a date easily like Rosalie. Hmph. I'd be better off going with Mike.

Moreover, Rosalie's aspiration for burning Lauren's reputation blocked her sight for seeing more important things, like 'What would Jacob do to me?' or 'Is he good for me? Is he nice?', and that irritated me. I sighed; a lot of things were making me pissed lately. If people didn't know any better, they would have thought I was some hormonal pregnant woman.

I stared down at my plate of chicken sandwich and stuck the toothpick through the pickle sitting on the side, bringing it up to my lips and taking a tiny bite out of it, chewing slowly.

I was feeling really down today, and Alice saw that.

"Alright, Bells, speak up," she hissed during PE.

I pretended not to hear her and dived at Nikki Miller, trying to take the ball from her careful dribbling, but then I tripped over Brittany Turner's foot while Nikki easily shot a basket. Dang it.

"Bella?" Alice asked.

"Yeah?" I replied breathlessly, wiping a bead of sweat from my forehead. "What's up?"

Wrong thing to say; Alice glared at me. "_You_ what's up? All quiet today. No complaints on my brother. Say something!"

"Good-bye," I replied, trying yet again to steal the ball from Nikki.

"Bella Swan!" Alice growled, chasing after me.

Nikki tossed the ball to Ivy, who caught it smoothly and threw it to Brittany. I attempted to intercept when Brittany tossed it back to Nikki again, but Alice was a second faster. She lithely dived for the ball, a small, peaceful smile on her lips as she dribbled up to the basket, craftily avoiding those who tried to take the ball away from her, and flicked her wrist, the ball falling right into the basket in a smooth lay-up.

I stood at the sidelines and glowered at her as she walked to stand next to me.

"Oops," she said with a small smile.

Rule: Don't mess with Alice.

"Alright, so what is on your mind, sis?" Alice asked while we headed across campus towards the quad.

I sighed. "I don't want to go to the dance, Alice."

Her face immediately fell. "Why not?"

"_Because_, I just _really_ don't feel like going." That was a stupid reason, but it was also the truth. "Jacob and I never talk to each other, we don't date, and we don't interact."

Alice pursed her lips unhappily before sighing. "Why didn't you tell me this before, Bella? Why didn't you tell me you were taking _Jacob_ to the dance?"

"He's taking me," I corrected, sitting down on the grass by one of the trees. "I really didn't think it mattered, Alice. Besides, you wanted me to come to the dance, and I found a date. End of story."

Alice scowled. "Bella, you are making this way more complicated then it needs to be. You say you won't go to the dance with Edward because _Tanya_ is his girlfriend. And then you say you'll go to the dance with Jacob, although _Lauren_ his girlfriend. Of the two, which would you rather deal with?" she exclaimed.

Before I could respond, she cut me off.

"You didn't even have to go with Jake! Mike would have been perfectly fine."

"Jake asked me first."

"So what?" she muttered.

I didn't answer, just tossed my backpack onto the ground and crossed my legs, inhaling the fresh winter air and gazing solemnly around campus.

Alice sat down next to me, folding her hands neatly on her lap.

"I wish you had gone with Edward," she mumbled. "Or someone _other_ than Jacob."

"Edward is going with Tanya," I said, and then I frowned. "But if _I_ went with Jacob, who would Lauren go with?"

"Stop changing the subject, Bella, and Lauren would probably go with Tyler. _Or_ she would find some way to destroy you. But anyway, you –"

Alice's voice faded into the background as my eyes landed on an unmistakable figure, or figures, I should say. Tall, blond, Jasper Whitlock stood there with Miss Heidi Johnson standing right between him and the side wall of the school building, kissing. They were so absorbed in each other that they didn't seem to notice the stares and growls (from those who liked Jasper) around them.

" – and Jacob Black is definitely not the answer. I always thought that you were smarter, and really, Bella, Edward isn't such a bad g – wait, he is. Forget I said that."

"Uh huh," I said, trying to hide the panic in my voice. "Sure."

Alice's bubbly attitude was immediately gone as she took in my tense stance.

"Bella? What is it?" she asked, following my gaze.

"But I like Edward," I blurted quickly (I sounded like I was whining), desperate to keep her from knowing.

Her head immediately snapped back to my horrified expression.

I quickly tried to compose myself. "Y-You see, he uh, he – I think he's, you know, c-cute," I stammered, rubbing the side of my neck guiltily. _Cute is just an understatement._ When she didn't say anything, I just kept going, saying whatever came to mind. "Yeah, well, I've been having these…dreams…lately. We – him and I – do these…_things._" I snuck a quick look at Jasper and Heidi, inwardly growling at them for their continuous intimate act. Could they stop already? _Don't you know my body depends on your actions, Mr. Whitlock?_ I yelled in my mind. Oh yes, I was definitely going to have a talk with this Whitlock. Maybe I was wrong after all…

Dragging my eyes back to Alice's shocked face, I started warily, "S-So, well, it mostly involves…" – I cleared my throat uncomfortably – "…erm…kissing. And I told him that I l-loved him, you know, because I am totally obsessed with him. Call me crazy, but hey, you can't help it when they're good-looking, right?" I nudged her shoulder playfully, but she didn't move, just stared at me like I was a centaur from Harry Potter.

To be more persuasive, I gave a laugh, although I sounded like a dying rooster.

Alice just stared at me with her jaw dropped.

Cautiously, I put my index finger under her chin and pressed upward, closing her mouth for her. Clearing my throat and changing the subject, I said, "You planning to hang out with Jasper tonight?" I quickly glanced in Jasper's direction and breathed a sigh of relief to see that he was gone along with Heidi. I couldn't refrain from feeling disappointed in Jasper though. I inwardly frowned; I would have to talk to this Jasper kid.

Alice seemed to find her voice again. "Yeah," she said slowly while I scanned the campus one more time to be sure. "Yeah. He's taking me to his dorm tonight. Emmett will be out with Jessica, and so Rose is hanging with Dan while Emmett's out, and then Rose is going to hang with Emmett after. It all works out," she mumbled weakly.

"Alright," I said. I hesitated, and then added, "Alice, I don't want you to let one girl get in the way of your relationship with Jasper, okay?" I stared directly into her eyes, scrutinizing her expression.

She stared at me with a confused expression before nodding weakly.

I sighed and pulled her into a tight hug.

We sat in silence for a moment while students walked by us, some chatting animatedly while others were complaining about the finals. Then I had the sudden urge to hit something – or someone.

"Alice," I asked warily. "Where's Edward's dorm?"

She stared at me, her brow furrowed.

"I like him, remember?" I reminded her with a raised eyebrow.

Alice swallowed and sighed.

-------o-------

"You jerk!" I shouted as soon as the door opened. I expected to see the cocky smile, the bronze-colored hair, and the emerald green eyes, but instead, a huge, muscular man with curly brown hair was standing before me.

"Um, thanks?" he said in his deep voice.

"Oh, move over Emmett!" I growled, shoving the confused guy out of the way. "Edward, where are you?" I yelled, stepping into his huge dorm – it looked slightly larger than mine, yet amazingly clean.

"Whoa, whoa," Emmett said, appearing beside me and grabbing onto my arm in a vice grip. "Who are you, and how do you know my name?"

I ignored his questions and tried to break free. "Where is Edward?" I asked.

"Hey, calm down, man," he said.

"Don't '_man_' me," I grumbled, my eyes darting around rapidly. "Where the heck is that stupid piece of auburn crap?"  
"You know, Bella, I spend a lot of time on my hair in the morning," Edward said, standing up from behind the couch with his hands up in the air, a video game controller in one hand. "You can dis me, but don't you dare talk about my baby." He patted his hair in mock hurt.

I scowled. "Edward Cullen, you tell your friend to let go of me _right now._"

"No way!" Emmett said instantly. "Not until I know who you are. Who is she, Eddie?"

"Don't call me that," Edward said irritably, crossing his arms across his chest. "And I would tell you" – he glanced slyly at me – "but she seems a little too comfortable in your grip."

My face scrunched up in disbelief. I vaguely wondered if he needed his eyesight checked, because a girl who was writhing, squirming, shrieking, and fuming in the grip of a man three times her size was certainly not what you would call 'comfortable.'

"Emmett McCarty," I said in a haunting voice, glaring at Edward and then moving my gaze back to Emmett, "You let me go right now or I tell Rosalie to dump you." Not true, but threatening him seemed like a likely escape at the moment.

He stared at me in disbelief while I futilely tried to break out of his grip.

"She knows, Eddie?" he asked, taking his other arm and pointing a big finger at me.

Edward just shrugged and picked an invisible thread off of his gray sweater.

"Let – me – go," I grunted. "You know, it's against the law to hold a woman against her will! I could send you to jail for sexual harassment!" I tried pointlessly.

Edward snorted with laughter, rolling his eyes.

I stopped writhing and glared at the both of them.

"Emmett, let – me – go," I said, annunciating every word. "And for your information, I'm your girlfriend's sister."

His hand was immediately gone.

I patted my jeans lightly and straightened out my shirt, flipping my hair like a proper lady. "Thank you," I said stiffly as I rubbed the spot on my arm where Emmett's grip was.

Then I looked at Edward, the both of us glaring at each other.

After a tense couple of seconds, Emmett said nervously, "You know what? I still have some college apps to do, so…I'll be going." He stood for a moment, hesitating, and then was gone faster than you could say "Edward Anthony Cullen", which were the exact first words that escaped my mouth as soon as the door slammed shut.

"…You better explain!" I growled.

"Well, hello to you too, Bella," Edward said pleasantly.

I walked up to him and poked him hard in the chest. "Setting Jasper up with another girl is – although brilliant – a masochistic, stupid, and ridiculously absurd thing to do!" I poked him again, furious at the fact that he didn't even flinch.

"Hmm, well, I'm born to be masochistic," Edward said lightly.

I gritted my teeth. "Well, I'm sure you were born to be a player too," I snapped. He grimaced, and I continued, "C'mon, Heidi Johnson?"

He shrugged. "Bella, I choose my women intelligently."

"You sound like a serial killer."

He ignored my comment. "She's gorgeous, wouldn't you agree?"

_Yes. _"Pffshh, no," I scoffed.

Again, he ignored my answer. "I thought she'd be the perfect girl for Jasper. Hell, if Jasper didn't want her, I probably would have taken her. She has a sexy Australian accent, you know," he said approvingly. "Very alluring."

I glowered at him. "Well, whatever your plan is, it's working very well," I admitted stiffly.

He smiled, but then his brow furrowed. "Already? Too soon. I still haven't decided where I want to kiss you yet." He pressed his lips together to keep from laughing at the expression on my face.

"Cocky, are we?" I snapped. "I'll have you know that I am _not_ backing out on this little bet we have going. But until either one of us loses, if you dare so as to touch any part of me with those pathetic lips of yours, I will personally send a restraining order against you," I threatened.

"Aw, you're so thoughtful," he teased, poking my nose.

"Mmm, I _am_," I said as I headed for the door. With my hand on the doorknob, I said threateningly, "So thoughtful, that if you dare give Jasper – or yourself – another girl to play with, I will personally slap you. Yeah, that'll show you just how _thoughtful_ I really am_._"

Edward glared at me, his lips pressed into a thin, grim line.

"Told ya you'd be just as happy as Alice was once I dealt with you," I said innocently, sticking my tongue out at him.

With one last smirk, I left his dorm – satisfied, I might add.

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**reviews please xD**


	12. My Failed Attempts to Go Figure

**thanks for your reviews :) and happy belated valentines day xD this hcapter is kinda a filler, os i understand if you guys dont like it. i jus kind of wanted tothrow it out there. review please.**

**and i havent discalimed it yet, so here it is.**

**Disclaimer: I dont own twilight.**

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**CHAPTER 11 – My Failed Attempts to Go Figure**

_**Tuesday**_

Edward was lip-locked with some girl from my history class. Figures.

By the wall. Him. Her. Was I going to do anything about it? No. Was I ready to forfeit the bet? No. Was I pissed? Heck yeah.

And you know what made even more angry? He winked. At me.

I passed by him in the hallway of the school building, and we locked eyes momentarily. That was when Edward decided to wink at me, a small corner of his lips turned up into a smirk, reminding me of the bet we had made. I swear, it was getting to me. Karma was going to bite me in the butt. My hand tingled, just wanting to smack the side of his face with as much force as I could muster. How violent.

He was too persuasive. He was also too infuriating – he did everything in his power to annoy me, driving me mad at the fact that he was just like one of "Jacob." Really, if he had such a problem with me being part of "his world," why wasn't he doing anything about it?

"I'm warning you _now,_" he snapped, glaring at me.

I readjusted myself on the bleacher seat, returning with my own menacing stare. "Words," I scoffed. "I don't see you trying to get yourself out of it."

"Why should I get myself out of it?"

"Because you're totally against it, duh!" I practically rolled my eyes.

"Bella, I'm already in it. And if I escape now, where do I go?"

Good question.

"I'm sure you'd find some place to seek refuge," I growled.

"Like where?"

"Luke Norman," I said immediately, wondering why I always said both his first and last name. "C'mon, Eddie" – I nudged his shoulder, and he scowled – "he needs a friend."

"_Luke_ is a freak," Edward retorted.

"_You're_ a freak. Take that. Player."

"Maniac."

"Hypocrite."

"Wish-you-were-my-girlfriend person."

I stared at him in confusion, and he just shook his head and sighed.

_**Wednesday**_

I leaned against the tree in the quad area, my arms crossed and my hair wild and splattered from the heavy wind. My eyes were narrowed, searching for the sight of honey blond hair…

Jasper Whitlock exited the cafeteria building with a black backpack, two books on the American Revolution, and tiny Alice tagging along on the side.

I didn't expect to see her there, but I really should have.

As I approached them, they were talking happily, especially Alice, who was literally "glowing."

" – a dress that I really, really hope you like. You like the color green, right? I hope so, oh, please say yes. Oh jeez. I'm blabbering now! I need to shut up…." Alice piped, suddenly breaking off as her brow furrowed.

Jasper laughed beside her, lightly wrapping his arm around her shoulder comfortingly.

I felt a flare of anger and resentment, but forced a smile as Alice saw me and beamed.

"Hey, Bella!" Alice chirped, looking perky as ever.

"Hi, Alice," I said, still smiling. "Where are you and Jasper going?"

"Well, we were just about to head back to Alice's dorm," Jasper said cordially, his voice that same, soothing and hypnotic tone.

"Really?" Even better. "I was just on my way there too, but then I saw you guys."

Alice beamed again. "Great. Let's all go together."

I smiled at the both of them, and the three of us headed off to the dorm building E. During the elevator ride, I quietly sighed and prayed that my lying skills would work.

"Oh, Alice," I muttered, fumbling through my backpack.

"What is it, Bella?" Alice asked worriedly.

"I think I forgot my library book in Jacobsen. I finished the test early and then took out a book to read. Oh! I must've left it on the desk!" I explained.

Alice relaxed. "Oh, okay. Want me to go grab it for you? I'm sure someone must've found it and turned it in to him."

"Alice, you don't – "

"Alice can do it," I said gruffly, interrupting Jasper mid-sentence.

They both looked taken aback by my sudden demand, but shrugged nonchalantly. When the elevator doors slid open, Alice leaned on the tips of her toes, gave Jasper a chaste kiss, and said, "I'll see you guys later" before the doors slid shut.

"Hello, Jasper," I said pleasantly in the quiet hallway of the dormitory.

"Bella," he said kindly, although his eyes were wary and suspicious.

"Come on, let's go to the dorm," I said.

While we walked, I casually continued, "So, how are things going with you and Alice?"

Jasper smiled dreamily. "Perfect, Bella. I don't think I've ever felt so happy in my life." His voice was so sincere; I felt a twinge of guilt in my stomach. Before I could say something, he began, "I don't know. It was like I finally saw something when I saw Alice that day."

I stuck the key into the door and opened it, the both of us entering the dorm. Tossing the keys onto the kitchen countertop, I took off my jacket, and Jasper did too.

"Is that all?" I asked, averting my gaze from him.

"Edward had said things about her to me, like how she was sensitive, hated rejection, too perky for anyone to" – I tossed him a water bottle and began drinking my own – "and how she had this huge addiction to shopping that if she married anyone, he would have to be superbly rich for her to be satisfied. I truly think he was trying to keep me from dating his sister, but I feel like I can understand her, you know?"

"Well, that was a long answer," I said, unable to keep from grinning.

Jasper smiled, and it wasn't that stupid smirk I was familiar of with Edward. It actually seemed friendly and nice – I never would have suspected him a player.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, his blue eyes twinkling. "Whenever I get really attached to something, I tend to talk non-stop about it."

I laughed. "You have no idea," I agreed quietly. **(like twilight for me. LOL.)**

"Alice is amazing," Jasper grinned. "If I hadn't known any better, I would never have suspected that she was abandoned as a ch –"

"Abandoned?" I choked.

Jasper looked surprised for a moment, but then he smiled softly. "Yeah. Didn't she tell you?"

I frowned, hurt that she didn't tell me anything about being abandoned, but she told Jasper. "No," I mumbled.

Jasper sighed. "Oh, well, never mind then," he said guiltily, clearly disappointed in himself for bringing it up. "I think I'm really into her."

"Oh," I replied quietly, thinking of what else to say to that.

We stood in an awkward silence for a moment while I tried to calmly ease into the climax of my plan, but somehow I couldn't do it.

"What's wrong, Bella?" Jasper asked, seeming genuinely concerned when he saw my expression.

I was about to yell at him for doing God knows what to Heidi behind Alice's back, followed by a string of profanities with whining, shrieking, and complaining, when the dorm door burst open, and a chirpy Alice bounced gracefully into the room. "Bella, Mr. Jacobsen said no one turned in a book," she said worriedly.

I frowned, inwardly cursing at her impeccable timing, and dashed over to my bedroom before returning back in the kitchen. "Oh. Well, I just found it under my bed," I said weakly.

Alice shrugged while Jasper stared suspiciously at me, probably wondering why I was so jumpy and tense.

"Everything alright?" he asked warily, crossing his arms.

"Hmm?" I murmured. "Yeah."

-------o-------

"Alice, this is incredible!" Rosalie gasped while I leaned against the side of the doorway, a small smile on my lips.

Alice squealed happily. "Thanks, Rose! I wasn't sure you'd like it at first, but it's good to hear," she said brightly as she patted the dress.

Rosalie was standing in front of a mirror in a striking, black halter dress. The form-fitting dress was floor-length and bundled elegantly around her feet. Sparkly rhinestones were neatly arranged in a pattern on the dress. I was expecting something more revealing, because, well, this was Rosalie we're talking about, but the current dress was gorgeous.

Rosalie spun around, looking at herself through the full-length mirror in Alice's bedroom.

"This is extraordinary," she gushed brightly, a dazzling smile forming on her lips. "Emmett will totally love this."

I smiled and stepped into the room, standing next to Alice. "Lookin' good," I teased as Rosalie laughed.

"Thanks."

"So, Rose, how do you plan on going to the dance with Emmett?" I asked craftily, waiting anxiously for her answer. "It's public, you know."

Rosalie shrugged, her eyes still glued on her reflection. "Emmett told me he would break up with Jessica sometime this week," she said indifferently. "Hey, Alice, is this dress easy to take off?"

I rolled my eyes, gagged ("Oh, shut up, Bella!" Rosalie scolded playfully), and crossed the living room towards my bedroom, while Alice started talking to Rosalie about the locations of removal.

It was around nine-thirty at night when I received a text from someone, that someone being Edward Cullen. And so our conversation began.

_What are you doing?_

_I'm on Youtube. You?_

_I'm at Tanya's watching Mean Girls._

I laughed out loud._ She made you watch it, didn't she?_

_Maybe._

_I'm surprised you're actually watching and not doing something else,_ I teased.

_Thank you. In fact, I'm texting you with my hand behind my back so she doesn't see, and then whenever she kisses me I bring my arm around her back to read the text you sent me. Smart, right?_

_You must text a lot._

_I do. It's good, for situations like these._

I glared at the phone screen.

_You could just break up with her._

_Sure. But what would be ur prize if u win the bet? _I could almost imagine him smirking again.

_I'm sure I'd think of something._

_Nope. We agreed on those terms, Bella. No changing now. _

I glared at the phone screen again. Before I could respond to the text, Alice bounced into my room and sat down on the bed next to me with a small smile on her lips.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Texting," I answered.

"Who are you texting?" she asked suspiciously, eyeing my cell phone.

"No one." I clutched the phone to my chest and smiled angelically.

Alice rolled her eyes and then smiled again.

"Okay, so I've been thinking," she said slowly.

"Alright," I responded.

"Okay, I completely and totally disapprove of you going to the dance with Jacob Black," she murmured.

"So I've heard," I muttered.

Alice nodded fervently. "Yep. Do you want Lauren to come to the dance and then take him away? You'll end up being alone no matter what – whether or not he takes you. _But_" – she said slyly, before I could reply – "if you let _me_ set you up with someone, you're bound to _not_ be left alone."

"Alice, I don't know…" I said uncertainly, thinking of the endless possibilities, both good and bad.

"C'mon, Bella," she said, raising an eyebrow at me, "You said that you didn't want to go with Jacob, and that you are going to the dance for my sake. I love you, sis, and thanks for your generosity. But since you're going for me, let me at least choose the person you're going with."

We stared at each other for an immeasurably long moment, silently willing the other to back down first. Alice's hard stare eventually turned into the irresistible puppy dog pout, and I stubbornly covered my eyes as Alice groaned.

"C'mon, Bells, think of it as an act of gratitude."

I stared at her for an immeasurable moment.

"Fine," I grumbled finally as a victorious smile formed on Alice's face.

"I'm proud of you, Bells."

"Thanks," I muttered sarcastically.

Alice just laughed and then stared at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked, feeling all self-conscious.

"Well?" she replied as my brow furrowed in confusion. "Aren't you going to call him?"

"Call who?"

"Jacob."

"Why?" I gasped, completely appalled that she would even suggest it.

Alice stared at me with a shocked expression. "Bella, do you remember what we just talked about?"

Both my eyebrows shot up. "Wh – how – when you said c-cancel, I didn't think you meant _now_!"

"Yes I meant now!" she exclaimed. "The dance is about a week away, duh!"

"A week away, I've got time," I said quickly.

"Yes, Bella, but I need time to find someone to go with you," she retorted. "So chop, chop!"

"Alice!" I whined hysterically. "I can't!"

"Why not?"

"I'm scared!"

Alice surprised me by letting out a loud, musical laugh. "You're scared to break up with Jacob?" she gasped through perpetual giggles. "_Please_ Bella, if anyone should be scared, it's _him._ He is always the guy that breaks up with the girl, not the other way around."

I chewed on my lip. "Alice, give me one more day, please."

She stopped laughing and sighed, staring at me wearily. "One more day?"

I fervently nodded. I needed time to gain confidence. I'd never actually broken up or anything before...

Alice narrowed her eyes at me, and then she said, "Fine. You have until eight o'clock tomorrow night to cancel on him. And don't worry about hurting his feelings, he deserves it."

With one last sympathetic smile, she stood up and left the bedroom.

--  
**so yeah. it wasnt spectacular or anything. just another fillerr chapp thigny. lol. i was in a stage of 'whatveer' when i wrote it, but i mean, its not like terrible and really. did you think id make bella go with jacob? sorry if your a jacob suppoter, but im one hundred percent team edward, even though the solution has been settled. xD i cant stand bella and jacob. i can stand jacob. just not the both of them together xD**

**also, the whole book go bye bye thing, it was supposed to be so stupid that its sarcastically funny. if that makes sense. btu anyway, ive donethat before. left a book in some persons classroom. xD**

**and one last thing, to my jacob supprters, its not that big a deal when she cancels. i actually cracked up so dont worry. he doesnt go wallowing or whatever. :) your jacob-kins will be fine :P  
**

**and dude. i CANNOT wait to post the dance chapter. i havent exactly written it yet...but i have stuf planned. and im so freakingexcited! :P  
**

**also, Godiva chocolates are so good. T-T seriously. i cant stop eating them.  
**

**REVIEWS! :D**


	13. Emotional, Eh?

**okay this hcapter is p[retty muchh humor. iv got some drama planned for next chapter, as well as some upcoming bxe interactions. another filler. i know,. dammn. lol. but sihg. im sick D: stupid wearther. o_O**

**anyway, drop a review. xD**

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**CHAPTER 12 – Emotional, Eh?**

"Jacob, I can't go to the dance with you," I said, my voice echoing. "I hope you understand."

Jacob smiled mischievously at me. "It's fine, Bella. I –"

"Jacob!" I heard his silky, musical voice. Both Jacob and I turned towards Edward, who was running towards us with one hand in the air.

"High five, man," he said as Jacob grinned and slapped his hand.

"High five what?" I asked, feeling dumbfounded and perplexed.

"You're not going to the dance with him," Edward replied, his eyes soft and triumphant. I only became even more confused. "Looks like I get to kiss you."

My eyes widened, and I felt appalled yet flattered simultaneously. "What? No! That's not part of the bet!" I retorted franticly.

"What bet?" Alice asked, suddenly appearing beside me. I cast a hysterical look at Edward, who looked completely at ease, a smile on his full lips. "Bella?" Alice inquired, staring at me with wide, blue-green eyes.

"U-umm…"

"The bet with you and Jasper, of course," Jacob said, looking at Alice as if it was the most obvious thing on Earth.

My head snapped to Jacob. "You know?!" I gasped.

"Of course I do," he responded matter-of-factly. "Edward told me. Lauren knows too, as well as Rosalie."

"What?!" I exclaimed, hopping a good four feet away from them. "I can explain," I said to Alice, who didn't even appear to be listening. She was staring straight ahead, a wide grin on her lips.

"Look, Bella, Jasper is kissing Heidi," she said, the grin still on her lips. She pointed her tiny index finger to my right. "He's kissing her. I want to break up with him."

"What?" I exclaimed again. "No, no, Alice, you can't!" I shouted, refusing to let Edward be the usual flirt he is. I didn't want to see the triumphant look on his face if he really did win, and I knew the cocky smile would be plastered onto his face for the rest of his life.

I glanced at Edward, and there was that smirk. He had his muscular arms crossed over his chest, his auburn hair tousled and his green eyes bright and excited. That smirk was right there on his lips, enticing but arrogant.

"Get that off your face," I grumbled to Edward, but he didn't move. He just stood there with that smirk, that same…old…smirk…I turned back to Alice, who was still smiling dreamily.

"You lose the bet," she sang. "I'm going to go tell Jazzy right now."

"Alice, no!" I gasped. "No, please, no!"

_"Do you think she's saying that because I'm giving her a makeover in her dream?_" I frowned. I recognized that voice, light, silky and smooth as wind chimes.

I heard another murmur, a slightly deeper voice, although it was still musical.

_"Maybe,"_ it said. _"Maybe you're threatening to put glitter on her, and she's having some sort of nervous breakdown."_ The voice was followed by hushed laughter.

I heard someone sigh. _"Rose, I really was going to give her a makeover before the Winterfest. And this morning." _Someone gasped. _"Do you think she's psychic?"_

A muffled "oomph" rang as something hard collided with something soft.

"Bella," a soft voice said into my ear. "You awake?" I felt a warm hand shaking my shoulder.

I mumbled something incoherent and flipped onto my stomach, burying my face in the pillow.

"Sis, it's Rose, open your eyes," she murmured.

I flipped over again and obliged. Rosalie and Alice were anxiously staring down at me, Alice rubbing the side of her head and sneaking occasional glances at Rosalie.

I blinked a couple times, and then I sat up in bed, staring at the two of them.

"Well, good morning," I said as Rosalie and Alice pressed their lips together to keep from laughing. "What's so funny?"

Alice snorted. "Well, for one thing, you're hair is hideous."

"Thank you," I said coldly.

Rosalie laughed. "Also, you kept muttering 'Alice, no!' and 'No, you can't' all night! You were like…yelling it," she said, looking at Alice, and the both of them fell into fits of laughter.

I glared at them. "Thanks for the notice," I said stiffly. I knew I talked in my sleep; it just wasn't a matter I was proud of, nor did I enjoy talking about it.

They laughed even harder.

"You talk in your sleep!" Alice giggled. "How come you never told me, Rose?" she demanded, her face amused yet her tone reprimanding.

Rosalie laughed. "I thought I'd let you experience it for yourself."

Alice pretended to be emotional, putting a pale hand over her heart. "Oh, you're so thoughtful!" _Reminds me of Edward._

Neither of them noticed my sudden discomfort, for Rosalie said in a happy voice, "Thank you, Alice."

"Shut up!" I hissed. "If you guys are going to keep expressing how thoughtful the other is, go do it somewhere else! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get some sleep."

I pulled the covers over my head, only to have them being torn off and dragged off the bed.

"What the hell!" I shouted, scrambling off of the bed towards Alice, who was clutching my comforter.

"Bella," Rosalie said, shaking her head and grabbing my arm. "Clearly, you haven't looked at the time. It's currently 5:30 AM, you need to wake up!"

"What? Why?" I said, pouting.

"_Because_, Belly-Buns, today's the Elf Dance and we need to get ready!" Alice chirped brightly. "And today is C-Day!"

"Belly-Buns? C-Day? What?" I gasped, completely and utterly lost.

Alice rolled her eyes, tossed my comforter onto my bed and crawled on next to me, tugging on my arm.

"C-Day, cancel day, duh!" Alice said with a matter-of-fact expression. "Go shower, Bells. Rosalie and I are going to help you look razzly dazzly, so chop, chop!" she said cheerfully. "We've got to get to the school halls, too, and you don't need to bring your backpack, because Angela told me that we do a bunch of cool stuff. _And_ school ends at 12:30 today! Just in time for lunch!"

She tugged on my arm again, gently pushing me into the bathroom while Rosalie rummaged through my closet to find the clothing we bought.

While I showered, I could hear Rosalie and Alice going in and out of the bathroom bringing in things to get ready – I thought I heard the clack of a straightening iron, too.

I stepped out of the shower, wrapped myself in a towel, and heard the bathroom door open, a small, pale arm sticking through with a pile of clothing.

"Put this on," Alice sang.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the clothing before Alice could close the door.

I would never admit it to Alice or Rosalie, but I really did like the Elf Dance outfit. You didn't necessarily have to formally dress up for this dance, so I settled with a green, off-the-shoulder knit dress that snugly hugged my body and ended about two inches above my knee. After sticking my arms through the long sleeves, I pulled on the red tights, and then a big brown belt after.

"I'm coming in, okay?" Alice asked from behind the door.

"Sure," I answered, looking at my reflection.

Alice entered the bathroom with a blow dryer in one hand, and a pair of beige snow boots in the other. While I put on the shoes, she plugged in the straightening iron and then began to blow-dry my hair.

Fifteen protests and sixty-four minutes later, Alice, Rosalie, and I were finished getting ready for the Elf Dance. We were standing in Alice's bedroom, staring at our reflections in the full-length mirror. All three of us agreed to go the Elf Dance together as a group of friends, and then at the Winterfest we would go in couples.

Alice was wearing avocado green skinny jeans, a green t-shirt that said "ROCK!" across the front, and solid green, ankle-high Converse with bright red laces. It was sort of funny, actually, because Alice had done her make-up so she looked more like a punk elf. She had thick black eyelashes, and lots of black ink surrounding her eyes. She wore green wristbands, and her inky hair added more to the dark look.

Rosalie was more sophisticated. She dressed in a white tank top, green shorts, and red fish nets. Sporting shiny red pumps on her feet, every time she walked, the clickity-clack of the heels would ring loudly throughout the room. Her blond hair was extra curly today, draping elegantly over each of her pale shoulders.

"Well," I said. "Don't we look –"

Rosalie, Alice, and I answered at the same time.

"Sexy."

"Funky."

"Awesome."

All three of us snorted with laughter, and Rosalie crossed her arms across her chest. We stood for a couple more moments, just staring at our reflections silently, until someone's stomach growled.

Alice sighed next to me, rubbing her stomach with her tiny hand. "Is anyone hungry?"

-------o-------

"Oh, wow!" I exclaimed as soon as we stepped into the hallways of the school. We wanted to check out the decorations before heading off to the cafeteria for breakfast.

Alice and Rosalie looked just as shocked as I, and the three of us looked around the school in awe.

The entire school was designed to look like Santa's factory. Images of toy machines and teddy bears adorned the walls, which used to be a plain white color. Garlands of pine leaves made a border along the tops and bottoms of the walls, and faux mistletoe hung above the doorways of classrooms. Big, puffy pillow-stuffers (that's what it looked like) created fake snow across the floor of the hallways, and glitter was poured all across the floors. Silvery, glittering snowflakes hung from the ceiling, as well as fake, sparkly stalactites that resembled synthetic ice. I could hear Christmas songs ringing through the school intercoms, ranging from "Silent Night" to "Jingle Bells" to the rock versions of both.

"Rose!" a high-pitched, girly voice suddenly exclaimed.

"Donna!" Rosalie screamed in response, holding her arms out to hug the skinny girl. The girl who was approaching us, whom I assumed was Donna, had whitish blond hair, glossy pink lips, and a stunning shade of sapphire blue eyes. She was a slender figure, and she was about four inches shorter than me with naturally tanned skin.

The two girls embraced and then kissed each others' cheeks.

"Donna, what's up?" Rosalie said, beaming, her hands on both of Donna's shoulders.

Donna flipped her hair and readjusted her green elf hat. "Nothing. I just wanted to say hi to my idol," she said, looking up at Rosalie with admiration and affection.

Rosalie laughed and put a hand to her heart, looking flustered and flattered.

"Donna," she said softly, "you think so highly of me."

She nodded furiously and didn't spare a glance in my or Alice's direction. "I totally do. You look totally and completely awesome, Rose!" she gushed in a voice _octaves_ higher than Alice's soprano voice. Alice and I grimaced, although Rosalie seemed unfazed by it.

"Donna," she said in a somewhat motherly tone, "seriously, you think way too highly of me," she repeated, although you could clearly see she enjoyed the compliment. Then she smiled at Donna, both of her pale hands on either of the girl's shoulders. "But thank you. You look adorable too, sweetie," she laughed.

Donna seemed to glow, and she smiled widely, revealing white, straight teeth with blue braces on. Her eyes were bright and the smile was so _big_ I was afraid it was going to break her face. She giggled and blushed. "Oh, Rosalie, you're just _too,_ _too_ nice."

And then to both my and Alice's horror, she began to cry. Not just the quiet, small tears; it was hysterical sobbing, hysterical enough that people walking by were giving us these weird, accusing glances.

Alice and I stared at each other with bewildered, completely shocked expressions while Rosalie calmly pulled Donna to her chest and hugged her.

"Just…just so…_nice_," Donna sobbed, her voice muffled. "You're just _so_ _understanding_, Rosalie!"  
"Oh, well, yes," my sister replied gently, soothingly stroking the whitish-blond strands of Donna's hair. Her expression, however, was bleak as she narrowed her eyes at the passing spectators.

Alice put a hand over her mouth and turned her back towards Rosalie, her shoulders shaking violently with laughter.

"Hey Rose! Lookin' hot!" some random boy yelled across the hallway. _Cute,_ I noted, eyeing his jet black, spiked up hair and skater-boy outfit. My thoughts snapped back to Edward, and a voice in the back of my head told me that he wasn't anywhere near as attractive as Edward was.

"Thanks, Blake!" Rosalie shouted over Donna's head. Blake whistled and headed off towards the cafeteria with a group of guy friends.

Donna, who suddenly seemed to "snap back into reality," quit her sobbing and dried her now black-stained eyes. Her nose was slightly red, as were her lips and eyes, but she put on a bright, cheerful smile, one more tear slipping down her cheek.

"He will never look up to you the way _I_ do, Rosalie," she said emotionally, sniffling again.

Alice, who had regained her posture, broke into another fit of giggles and turned her back towards us again. I cracked a smile. Blake did _not_ look at Rosalie in the same way Donna did, that was for sure.

Rosalie was the only one who remained composed. Actually, her complete seriousness as she stared at Donna nearly made me join Alice.

"Thank you," Rosalie murmured gently.

Another tear. "No, _thank you._"

Alice gave a strangled cough beside me as Donna waved and dashed off in the opposite direction.

"What the _hell_ was that?" I demanded as soon as Donna was out of earshot. Although my voice was somewhat reprimanding, I was grinning like an idiot.

Rosalie looked confused. "What was what?"

"That?" I inquired, nodding my head at Donna's back.

Rosalie looked genuinely confused. "Umm…"

"She was like bipolar or something!" Alice said loudly, looking back at us with a bewildered expression. I started laughing at her now-red face.

Rosalie rolled her eyes at us. "Children," she muttered jokingly. "She is not mentally ill either, you idiots," she said with a laugh. "Donna is a freshman and is one of my most supportive friends. She just takes my whole status and rank very seriously."

"Don't you mean _sensitively_?" Alice muttered quietly.

"And I thought _Jasper_ was emotional," I murmured, shaking my head.

Alice whacked my shoulder. "You wouldn't know that."

"Fine. And I thought _Edward_ was emotional," I corrected with a roll of my eyes.

Alice and Rosalie laughed, and all three of us headed to the cafeteria.

--  
**donna creeps me out. idk. hwen i wrote this, i had some sudden uirge to have her cry. idk why. i just did. but now you know the people Rosalie hangswith, and just how popular she actuallyy is. if you compare her to bellla or alice, shes like a saint. lol so yeah. and dude, i couldnt sleep last night. FOR SOME REASON, my back hurts. probably cuz i slept wrong o_O oh wells. ill tryand get chapter 13 up asap. thanks for youn reviews :) chapter 13 will be the actual elf dance, which im excited to write too. xD  
**

**now go review for me. xD**


	14. Kinda Pretty, Kinda Nice

**lol this chapter is drama-filled. i feel like i was lacking it befor ein the story, so heres more of it. i kinda found it mean. LOL. kinda this, kinda that. thats the whole hteme of this chapter. but anyway, yeah. once again, jsut a reminder, every chapter will be closley examining the character relationships. so this will go daily, rather than weekly. because, well, the bet is just really important. and the time span isnt much. THEREFORE, we need to closely examine these peoples. because a huge thing can happen in one second.**

**btw, apparently the elf dance is going to spread a lot farther than i thought. with the drama and whatnot. sorry. lol.  
**

**review please. can i get to 200? xD  
**

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**CHAPTER 13 – Kinda Pretty, Kinda Nice  
**

"I believe I'm going to gain a total of sixty pounds before 9 AM. What do you say to that?" Rosalie scoffed reproachfully as she stared hungrily at the Christmas goodies.

And my response? Agreed.

The line for food was unbelievably long because of the numerous cookies and decorated pancakes. Cookies weren't a good breakfast, but who cares? Waffles were shaped like Christmas trees and Santas, while chocolate-chip pancakes had strawberries and powdered sugar decorating them beautifully – like ornaments, even.

Clearly, no one could resist.

And the food was just one thing. The entire cafeteria reminded me of Hogwarts with its fantastic and flawless design. An enormous, bright Christmas tree was in the corner with a shiny golden star sitting at the top of it. Garlands of fake snow and crystals surrounded the green tree, and there were so many ornaments it would have taken centuries just to count them.

After we grabbed our food, we headed over to our usual table. I was almost absolutely sure my plate weighed at least five pounds, and Alice's probably weighed much, much more.

Rosalie looked pale as she compared my and Alice's stack of waffles, French toasts, cookies, parfaits, and pancakes to her frail granola bar.

"I do _not_ get how you can resist," Alice said, shaking her head through a mouthful of food.

I nodded in recurrence, my mouth, too, filled with food. "Not at all. Are you sure you don't want some?" I asked, somewhat reluctantly shoving my plate in her direction.

Rosalie turned paler, and I watched as she swallowed. It didn't even look like she was breathing anymore. "I need to stay slim, Bella, otherwise Emmett might not like what he sees," she said dramatically.

I rolled my eyes, muttered "weirdo" under my breath, and continued to devour my food.

Eventually, Jacob's group came in and settled down, Edward looking perfect in all his glory and Jacob looking slightly disturbed by something. He actually looked concerned – that was an improvement.

But then ten minutes later, bad things started to happen.

"Jackie!" someone sang tauntingly. I felt my stomach drop as Lauren and her clique entered the cafeteria. God, they looked like sluts – not that it was a shock. I couldn't even begin to describe the outfits they were wearing, because, well, there was barely any clothing to name. Then I frowned – Heidi wasn't there anymore. I looked back at Alice to find a triumphant expression on her face. She looked highly proud that Heidi was nowhere near, and returned to her food happily. I started to wonder why. Since when is someone kicked out of a group?The last time that happened, Cassidy had broken up with one of the boys. Did Jasper and Heidi break up?

Lauren wrinkled her nose as the skinny girl stumbled over to them, looking nervous as ever as she held onto a tray of food with yogurt parfaits, oatmeal, cereal, and a bunch of other things.

"Jackie," Lauren repeated, sounding nasally and annoyed, "_where is my food?_" As if it isn't in front of you.

Jackie fearfully handed it over to Lauren, who gave it to Jessica, who gave it to Tanya to examine. Tanya was clutching her bright pink, sparkly cell phone, looking unintentionally intimidating. Her freakishly long nails weren't making her any nicer.

She scanned the contents of the tray. Then, Tanya frowned and walked up to Jackie, looking highly annoyed. "Jaclyn, honey, is this low carb?" She held up a bowl of oatmeal as she fingered her phone menacingly.

Jackie was nearly sweating, and her leg was visibly shaking. "I-I'm not sure."

Tanya pursed her full lips, her brow furrowing. She looked thoughtful, as if she was contemplating what to do next. And then she did it.

Her hand, which still had the bowl suspended in mid-air, tilted to the side, and the thick, lumpy substance poured out and onto Jackie's shoes, splattering loudly and making a disgusting squash sound, which caused heads to turn in their direction.

"Oops," Tanya said, shrugging angelically as Jackie glanced from her shoes to Tanya and then back again. If she was fearful before, she was terrified now.

"How clumsy of me!" Tanya said dramatically, putting a hand over her heart as Lauren laughed loudly, gathering even more attention.

Jessica smirked and reached for the cup of yogurt parfait, which was sitting on the tray. Taking off the lid, she strutted towards Jackie and "tripped," sending the oats, fruits, and yogurt into Jackie's face and clothing. The yogurt caused the contents to stick to parts of her face, and her glasses were nearly fully covered by the food. Her clothes were another story.

"Whoops," Jessica taunted. Tanya was smirking as Jessica shoved the empty cup into Jackie's hands. "Really, Jackie, you should move out of the way when people are walking," she said in her nasally voice. Jackie fumbled to clean off some of the food with her sleeve.

Lauren grinned mischievously and yanked her hand away, tugging off Jackie's glasses in the process. They slid across the floor with a light but audible screech.

"Jackie, why did you do that?" Lauren gasped, feigning disapproval. "Why did you just toss your glasses onto the floor? Oh, wait! What was I thinking! You probably got them at a garage sale or something. _Of course_ you threw them away. I mean" – she looked at Tanya and Jessica – "I totally would if they were _that_ hideous."

My hand flew to my mouth as all three of them snickered and headed towards their usual table.

What a bunch of idiots. But idiot is only an understatement. A B word actually fit them better.

Jackie was still standing in the middle of the cafeteria, frozen and horrified as people around her snickered at her stained clothing. She looked close to tears.

Even Alice couldn't talk – she looked plain guilty, while Rosalie glared fiercely at Lauren's table. Even the guys from Jacob's table were laughing, covering their mouths with their hands. Even though it was clearly mean, no one dared go against Lauren. Rosalie was getting there, but messing with Lauren meant true torture.

Tears streaming down her face now, Jackie bolted, heading blindly for the cafeteria doors. Unfortunately for her, she managed to slip and fall clumsily onto the floor. Nonetheless, she scrambled for the direction of the door, even though she was on her hands and knees and currently blind. People were still guffawing after she disappeared.

I bit my lip, feeling incredibly guilty even if I had nothing to do with it. I knew what it was like to be klutzy and screw up in front of people – I'd been in that situation before. I'd even been tortured by cool know-it-alls in middle school, where Rosalie had to go and defend me because I couldn't fight my own fights. I knew how it was.

Without a second thought, I stood up and took off after Jackie, stopping temporarily to grab her glasses on the floor. I ended up pushing open the doors with more force then necessary. When I got out into the quad area, I thought for a moment. Where did she go? Where would _I_ go in this situation?

I frowned for a moment, thinking, and then I snapped my fingers. Girl's bathroom. Duh.

After tripping who knows how many times, I gently pushed open the door and immediately heard sobbing coming from one of the stalls. I quietly shut the door and tip-toed to the stall where I heard the sobs coming from, and gently knocked on it.

"I'm fine!" someone yelled, although it came out more like just saying it. I knew it was Jackie, although her voice wasn't as high or shaky as before, but rather crackly.

"Open the door, Jackie," I said cautiously, wondering if this was such a good idea after all.

The panting and bawling stopped momentarily as the door swung open, and my chocolate brown eyes met with dark black orbs, curious and bewildered. Jackie's eyes were red and swollen from crying, and she was sniffling loudly.

I handed the glasses too her, and her trembling hand took them for a moment. Her eyes refocused while she stared at me in confusion.

"Who are you?" she asked, backing away.

Good point. "I'm Bella," I said wearily. "Bella Swan." I civilly held out my hand for her to shake, but she just stared at it.

Then recognition flashed across her face. "Oh." She wrinkled her nose and sat back down on the ground, bringing her knees up to her chest and rocking nervously. "You're Rosalie's sister," she said, avoiding my gaze while I dropped my hand in chagrin. "You must be popular," she added bitterly.

"I – "

"A _popular _person," Jackie interrupted coldly, glaring at me. "A popular, _perfect _person with your _perfect _life and _perfect _boyfriend and _perfect _friends with their _perfect _–"

"Actually," I sighed, sitting down next to her and pointing at myself. "Not popular or perfect. Thanks, but don't ever use Bella Swan and popular in the same sentence," I said, shaking my head and trying to lighten the mood. She cracked a small smile as the glare disappeared from her face.

But then she frowned. "But you're pretty. Popular people are always pretty." She began to scrub off some of the stains, trying to seem occupied.

"Thanks, but I'm not pretty," I said stiffly, feeling my self-esteem plummet as I thought of Rosalie or Alice. "Besides, that's slightly stereotypical."

Before she could reply, I stood up and said, "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up. You can come to my dorm; I've got clothes you can borrow." _Perhaps too many. Thanks a lot, Alice._

Jackie sat glued to the floor, but she was looking at me questioningly. "Why are you doing this?"

I reached for her hand and pulled her up onto her feet, helping her dust off the dirty bathroom scum that clung to her clothes.

"Let's go," I said, staring at the floor as I headed determinedly for the door.

"Why?" Jackie repeated, barely a step behind me, and I knew she was referring to her first question.

I paused, my hand on the door handle as I thought about my answer. Then, I turned around and smiled at her. "Been there, done that."

-------o-------

"Bella!" Alice shrieked as soon as Jackie and I reappeared, Jackie looking quite adorable in a red t-shirt, blue jeans, and bright green shoes. I helped her style her soft, black hair into a messy ponytail, a style I enjoyed myself.

Alice dashed across the quad towards us, her inky hair bouncing along with the rest of her body. When she arrived, she grinned, pulled me in for a quick hug, and smiled warmly at Jackie.

"Alice Cullen," she said genially, holding out a pale, nervous hand.

I could tell from the look on Jackie's face that if I was considered pretty, then Alice was drop dead gorgeous. Jackie cast me a panicked expression, and I just nodded and glanced at one of the school buildings, where loud music was coming out of.

Jackie hesitated, and then shook Alice's hand lightly.

Alice's smile widened as she pulled her hand back. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said before looking back at me. The smile faded for a moment before slightly reappearing.

"Rosalie is inside," Alice said, nudging her shoulder in the direction of the building. Giving me a pointed glance, she forced a smile and grabbed my hand before turning back to Jackie.

While she towed me towards the entrance to the gymnasium, she said, "Jackie, are you coming?"

Jackie looked frightfully at us before shaking her head furiously. "N-no, I-I have to go somewhere," she stammered, staring at the door as if it was about to explode. "I'llseeyouguyslater," she rushed, scampering away towards the dorm buildings.

Alice and I both knew she didn't want to face those blonde bimbos, so we let her be.

Inside, it looked much like a normal dance. Loud, noisy, lots of people on the dance floor dressed in stuff, the punch table – everything average. I got one look at the punch table and felt my stomach growl, since I hadn't exactly finished my breakfast.

Before I could even take a step towards it, Alice tugged me to the opposite side of the room to where Rosalie was standing, talking in hushed tones to her "followers."

" – Lauren is a straight-off bitch, like you all know it, and she just ruined some girl's reputation. We need to help her," Rosalie said, looking around at her friends. "Therefore, I –"

"Got a problem, Swan?" Lauren sneered, crossing her arms across her chest, revealing even more cleavage than before. Several people took steps back, including Alice and I, while Rosalie just stood there looking insanely bored.

"The only problem we have here is you," Rosalie retorted, barely glancing at Lauren.

Lauren frowned, looking slightly miffed. "Oh, there wouldn't be a problem if you and your retarded sister never came."

"There's a dilemma whether we're here or not," Rosalie said, shrugging.

By the look on Lauren's face, she had no idea what 'dilemma' meant.

So, being the smart girl that she is, she changed the subject to…fashion. "Are those fish nets?" she asked, kneeling down. "Oops, I'm sorry, I thought they were holey pantyhose." She stood up again, narrowing her eyes.

"At least I have fish nets on," Rosalie retotrted, giving Lauren a once-over and raising an eyebrow. "And then I make sure you can't see any part you don't want to see, because then I don't look like a prostitute."

Lauren huffed and walked away, Tanya and Jessica following her like the faithful servants they are.

Alice headed over to talk to Angela, and Rosalie continued to mingle with her friends, so I just sighed and headed over to the punch table – my original destination.

Grabbing a cookie, I grinned as I chewed and swallowed. Soft. Chewy. Yum.

"Enjoying the cookie?" Edward asked in my ear, and my eyes snapped open as heaven disappeared and was replaced with a Greek god.

"So what if I am?" I retorted stubbornly, suddenly feeling all jumpy and excited. I shoved the rest of the cookie down my throat and chanced a full-on look at him.

Big mistake.

I don't know how he did it, but he managed to make his hair even messier than usual, and dressed in a green polo and dark wash jeans, he looked just stunning in the dark, cozy lighting of the room. I gawked at him for a good five minutes, unable to tear my eyes away from him and his body. Seriously. This guy needed to get de-hot-i-fied or something. Not that I minded him looking handsome. It just kind of made me want to kiss him, but I knew it would never happen. He was too perfect.

"Won't Rosalie get mad at you or something?" he casually inquired while I still ogled at him.

"She won't know," I replied, sighing at the fact that she would scold me for adding extra pounds to this morning's breakfast. I forced myself to gaze at the punch bowl.

Edward chuckled and reached for a macadamia nut cookie.

"You look…" he started, glancing at me from head to toe. My heart fluttered quickly, just waiting for his thoughts on my appearance. Wait, was I actually caring about my appearance? "…kinda pretty today."

Even though I wasn't expecting much, I could feel my shoulders slump and my stomach drop. Just kind of? Really? He couldn't be any nicer?

"Thank you," I said acidly, turning to walk away from him.

I felt the slight sting of tears, and yet I wondered why. It wasn't like he told me my shoes didn't go with my dress or something; all he said was that I was 'kind of pretty,' which is something I should've expected. Still. Hmph. Rosalie usually got "stunning" and "beautiful." I only got more miffed just by thinking that.

"Bella," Edward sighed, putting a hand on my shoulder and turning me around. I suddenly found interest in the beige boots I was wearing.

I heard him chuckle lightly, tilting my chin up so I would look at him. What I saw was breathtaking. Still.

"Really," he said, smiling genuinely. "You look…" – he licked his lips before pursing them, and even in his response, it was somewhat forced – "pretty."

I felt another twinge of disappointment while Edward frowned over something, and then I sighed. This was all I was going to get. Better be happy that I got anything from him. Saying I was pretty proved that he had a heart – I guess it was acceptable.

Shrugging, I muttered a quiet "thanks" and started to walk away again, only Edward stopped me for a second time.

"What?" I snapped in a voice harsher than I intended.

Edward just chuckled at me, looking highly amused by my grumpy expression. Then he sobered up, pursing his lips unhappily. "I...You...what you did for Jackie, it was...kind of nice."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Kind of?"

Edward cracked a smile. "Fine. Really nice. I'm really sorry about it..." He trailed off, running a hand through his already messy hair.

I pressed my lips together to hide a smile. "Why are you sorry? I mean, Lauren and her clique should be the ones apologizing, not you," I told him defensively. And then I realized I defended him, for him. He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "It's what happens when you're popular and stuck-up. You feel like you're in power, and that's exactly how Lauren does it," I told him gently, feeling a reassuring smile form on my face.

Edward stared at me for a moment, and then he smiled too - and this one was full, complete with teeth and crookedness and all. It made my heart melt, and I started realizing how physically attracted to him I _really_ was.

Then he started to say something, and I couldn't help but watch the way his lips moved when he talked…

His lips stopped moving and he frowned at me, looking down uncertainly.

"Is something wrong?"

"What?" I asked, tearing my eyes away from his lips and bringing them to his green eyes. Ah. That just made it even worse. That green shirt of his really managed to make his eyes stand out. Or something did.

I blushed furiously, looking down at the floor in humiliation.

"I asked you if something was wrong…" he said slowly, sounding genuinely concerned. I wondered why he was being so _nice_ today.

Clearing my throat, I brought my gaze back up to his nose. "Nothing is wrong," I said weakly, inwardly smacking at myself for being caught just staring. "Anyway, what were you saying?"

Edward looked like he was about to press for more information, but he thought better of it. Looking down at the floor and jamming his hands into his jean pockets, I could tell he was smiling when he spoke. "I was wondering if you wanted to d –"

"Edward!" someone squealed, and both of us snapped our heads in the direction of the voice.

Strawberry Blonde Meanie ran over to us, nearly shoved me out of the way, and planted a wet, disgustingly annoying kiss onto Edward's lips. I mentally snapped my fingers - of course Tanya had to come and take him away. People always took things away from me. And besides, she was his girlfriend. His perfect, gorgeous, stuck-up girlfriend.

"Baby," she purred, playing with the collar of his shirt and batting her eyelashes seductively.

She glared at me out of the corner of her eye, wrapping her arm around his waist and pulling him to her a lot harder than necessary. I internally growled at her - she probably gave him a bruise or cut with those ferocious nails of hers. I mean, she got the point across with the glare. No need to damage the spectators.

Clenching her teeth and forcing a smile, she looked up at Edward.

"Who's your friend?" she asked.

"That's Bella," Edward said, coughing nervously before running a hand through his hair. "She's…"

"Hideous," Tanya finished disgustedly, her friendly tone disappearing quickly as she gazed back at me. Edward dropped his jaw for a moment, looking down at his girlfriend with a bewildered expression, before quickly composing himself and coughing again.

"Tanya," he scolded.

"What?" she replied while Edward smiled apologetically at me and towed her away. "People like you shouldn't be talking to her," Tanya scoffed indignantly, turning back to me and giving me a menacing glare.

Suddenly, I didn't feel awesome at all. Because maybe she was right.

--  
**lol sorry for the lame ending. i just really wanted tanya to go away. unfortunately, edward had to go wtih her. I know **snaps fingers** dangit. right? also, the whole "i didnt feel awesome at all" in the chapter before this, bella said she looked awesome. and hten bam. tanya screwed it all up. xD  
**

**i hope the drama wasnttoo badd. and about popular people, people at my school who are popular are USUUALLY pretty and sstuck up and wear makepu n stuff. not saying its true for everyone though, so dont kill me. xD**

**ALSO. werent they so mean to jackie??! i swear. those bimbos are annoying. x.x how mean of tanya. talk about lowering bellas self-esteem at the end right there D:**

**anyway, drop a review please! 200? please?! bah. review :D**


	15. Freaking Holes and Simplicity

**ugh. rocky chapter, sorry. i actuallyt kind of hate this hcapterr lol. im eager to get to the dance chapter, literally. and btw, this chapter may be confusing unless you think literarially or whatver lol. read my AN at bottom if u dont understand anything. okayys i edited this chappyy this mornin so yeah. n happy daylight savings to everyone XD danngg. we lose an hour.  
**

**drop a review please xD**

--

**CHAPTER 14 – Freaking Holes and Simplicity**

"Ouch, Bella, can you watch where you step?" Alice shrieked over the loud music, clutching her foot and hopping up and down. "This is what? The fifth time you've stepped on me?"

"Sorry, Ali," I apologized, feeling slightly guilty. "I warned you that I couldn't dance," I said. "So technically, this is your fault for dragging me out in the first place."

Alice glared at me. "You looked all depressed!" she retorted. "I couldn't leave you like that. My solution was dancing – get all those muscles loosened up and get all whacko crazy and all that…"

I shook my head before she even finished. "Alice, you know I can't dance. Besides, I want to head back to the dorm."

It was true; after Tanya left, I felt like a run-over cat. Suddenly, the room was swaying and I felt all numb inside. She was right, I suppose, as much as I hated it. After all, Tanya wasn't Lauren, but she dominated. I thought of poor Jackie, who was being blackmailed by that Blond Bimbo Meanie person, and couldn't help but feel pitiful.

Catching the look on Alice's face, I quickly said, "But you stay; I'll just head back."

Alice shook her head furiously. "Bella!" she scolded, putting her hands on her hips. "I did _not_ spend a long time on you and your hair only for you to spend a good one hour at the dance. That is suicide," she said firmly.

"Alice," I complained, sounding like a five-year-old child. "I – "

"No," she interrupted sternly.

Biting my lip, I settled for compromise. Compromise was the solution to all my problems. "Fine. Can I at least have a ten minute break?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

She debated for a moment, and then curtly nodded. "See you in ten," she said, giving me a look that said, "You'd better be here."

I rolled my eyes at her and exited the building, extremely glad that the loud music was somewhat reduced and enjoying the fresh, cool air of the morning. Inside, it was steamy hot with all the people dancing, so it felt fresh, moist, and slightly chilly.

I walked out into the middle of the quad, wondering where I should go. I couldn't go to the football field, because that was just too far and I didn't want to go back and forth. I could have gone back to the dorms, but what was the point of that? I'd have to come down in ten minutes anyway. So, I just settled with sitting by the tree again, the same tree as the time I spotted Jasper and Heidi.

As I headed for my usual spot, I suddenly heard voices behind me. Two distinct voices, male and female, and very musical…

" – a nonsense, ignorant whore!" the female voice said in half-yell, half-whisper…mostly yell. I froze mid-step, Tanya's face immediately flashing into my mind, and turned around to see behind me. I could faintly see the blond locks of Tanya's hair behind the corner wall, so I knew it had to be her. The next thing I knew, I was leaning against the wall listening.

I recognized the next voice as Edward's. "Tanya, you know that's not true."

"Eddie, are you seriously blind? Look at her! She's nothing. I mean, if you like her, be my guest. But don't you dare date her," Tanya scoffed. "She'll ruin our entire reputation. And Jacob will be super mad at you. Go for her sister or something."

"I'd rather not," Edward responded calmly, a hint of regret in his voice. "And Tanya, don't call me Eddie. You know I hate that."

"Well, you know what I hate? You sneaking around behind my back – "

"You do that too, you know," Edward interrupted, sounding slightly hurt. I could tell he was holding back his accusations, and I felt a sudden urge to defend him too.

Tanya seemed to think her response over for a moment, and then replied, "Right. I do. But high school relationships never last, we both know that," Tanya said, as if it was the solution to the problem.

"I – "

"_I_ hate Rosalie's sister," Tanya explained. "So really, boyfriend, I don't get why you could have any attraction to her."

"Bella is nice. She's modest. She's – "

" – unimportant and ugly," Tanya interrupted firmly. I glared at Tanya's blond hair. "The double U's. No one wants a girl like her. If I were les, I'd rather go for Jackie," she said reproachfully, and I could almost imagine her eyes rolling.

Part of me wanted to run away, out of hearing distance, but the second half of me (particularly my legs) wanted to remain and hear more. Unfortunately, I was stuck with the latter.

It was silent for a moment before I heard an exasperated groan.

"For God's sake, Tanya, stop being such an arrogant bitch," Edward sighed, sounding highly annoyed now. I could almost imagine him pinching the bridge of his nose and glaring at the sky like he did during biology.

I heard a gasp. "Edward, did you just call me a bitch, not to mention arrogant?"

It was silent again, until Edward said," Yeah. I guess I did."

Tanya gave a reproachful, high-pitched "aw." "I can_not_ believe our entire argument is over that idiotic Isabella –"

"Bella," he corrected.

" – kid," Tanya finished, ignoring him. "Seriously, what is up with you this year? Is this because of your sister? We used to be everything, _Edward_" – she annunciated his name to appease him – "and I don't understand – "

"People change, Tanya," Edward interrupted. "Alice is only part of it."

"Well, then, is it those Swan sisters? Are you in love with Rosalie or what?"

"I'm not in _love_ with anyone."

"Is it that Bella girl?"

I bit my lip, waiting for his response, my heart involuntarily beating 200 beats a minute.

He never gave one.

"Well?" Tanya pressed in the midst of Edward's silence.

I felt a smile creep my lips before I could stop myself, and I put a hand over my mouth to keep from squealing in delight. Wait where did that come from? I inwardly sighed. It was just a boy who liked me. In fact, I couldn't even be sure that he liked me. Right? I mean, he never said it.

But his silence was enough.

_Stop it, Bella!_ I chimed. I was assuming something, and for all I know it could be completely wrong.

I felt slightly disappointed at the thought.

An umpteenth silence filled the conversation, and then Tanya sighed. I could almost feel the awkwardness radiating off of them. They didn't talk for a minute or two, but then it happened.

SMACK!

I nearly jumped back in fright. One, because I wasn't expecting that. And second, because it was really loud. That must've hurt…

"It's over," Tanya said coldly, and I didn't need to look at her face to know she was glaring.

I was only able to turn around before Tanya appeared from behind the wall, her six-inch heels clicking loudly against the pavement. I knew I couldn't just walk away, for the door was quite far away, but then standing there didn't help either. I let my hair fall over my shoulder and stared furiously at the ground, hoping she wouldn't recognize me. Then I pretended to readjust my belt for lack of anything better to do. After all, there wasn't much I could work with.

But then I felt uneasy, so exposed suddenly. I could feel eyes on me too.

Slowly and cautiously, I kept my head down but moved my eyes up.

My eyes locked with Tanya's, but I was surprised to see she was actually crying. Her eyes were bloodshot and her usual pale nose was slightly pink. Her cheeks were stained with tears, but she wasn't sobbing or anything. Just crying.

For a second, a very short second, I felt sorry for her. After all, she lost her boyfriend because of me.

Then Tanya narrowed her eyes at me, and I found it pointless to keep my head down. She knew it was me, and she knew I eavesdropped.

The look on her face literally made the blood drain from my face. After giving me a menacing stare, she quickly strutted away, towards the dorm buildings, her hips swaying like usual. I remained rooted to my spot, feeling extremely insecure now. Something about that look told me she had something up her sleeve, and I had a dreadful feeling that it was going to happen to me.

Then I heard another pair of footsteps – Edward's.

I caught a swift glimpse of him walking and rubbing his left cheek tenderly, where I assumed Tanya slapped him. Then I dropped my gaze to my feet, feeling guilty now. I could feel his eyes on me, but I refused to look up, unsure of what I would see if I did.

I bit my lip and frowned as I heard him approach me. He stood in front of me for a moment, extremely quiet, and then gently murmured, "Bella." He was close enough that his sweet breath filled my nose.

I squeezed my eyes tight, feeling so guilty to the point where I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Whether it was because of the break-up or because I spied on them, I wasn't sure. Probably both.

"Look at me," he pleaded, and for once, his voice was sad; he sounded so broken and vulnerable. "Bella?" he asked quietly.

I looked up slowly, feeling fearful for some strange reason. Was I afraid that he was going to be mad at me? I didn't want him mad at me. I didn't want anyone mad at me.

I met his gaze and immediately hated the look in his eyes.

I was about to glance away again, but his hand caught my cheek gently, and I gasped at the contact. His other hand pressed against the brick wall on the side of my head.

"It's not your fault," he crooned gently. I realized I was backed up against the wall.

His eyes searched mine for a moment, and then he dropped his hand from my face.

I instantly missed the contact.

I wanted to say something, maybe apologize or something, but I couldn't find my voice. All I could feel was a lump in my throat just by staring at that dead look on his face.

Edward opened his mouth for a moment, but then closed it, deciding against it.

"I…" he started uncertainly, running a pale hand through his hair. It only made the bronze mess messier. After uttering more incoherent sounds, he just completely shut his mouth and gave me a small, embarrassed smile, his fingers tangled in the roots of his hair.

"If Tanya does anything to you," he said, avoiding my gaze, "I want you to let me know."

"I'm sorry," I blurted before I could stop myself.

Edward chuckled quietly. "It's not your fault," he repeated. Then I heard faint female voices, and both Edward and I glanced over to see Angela and Alice exiting the building, laughing and joking about something.

"Bella, listen to me," Edward said, rushing his words now and sending occasional glances in Alice's direction. "Promise to me that if Tanya does something to you, you must tell me alright?" he asked, scrutinizing my expression, his green eyes piercing.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice glance at me, and a frown immediately creased her forehead.

"Bella?" Edward asked, looking genuinely concerned.

I nodded stiffly, and Edward blew a deep breath. Sending me one last forced, strained smile, he backed away and headed towards the other side of the school, where the boys' dormitory was.

At the same time, Alice and Angela were coming towards me, Alice still frowning and staring at me suspiciously.

I turned my gaze at Edward's back and felt another surge of guilt and pity. Every ounce of me was full of guilt by the time my friends came to me.

Hmm. Was I guilty of spying on them? Yes. That was definitely a no-no. Does Edward really like me? I grinned at the thought. But then the smile was off my face as Tanya zapped into my mind. That girl was going to screw me over, I just knew it. And Edward did too. Maybe it was because I caused them to break up?

But still. _It's not your fault. _Edward said so.

-------o-------

"You're going to text him?" Alice snapped, wiping her eye make-up off and gazing at her reflection. It was three hours after the Elf Dance and lunch, which went quite smoothly.

Alice and Angela had dragged me back inside to dance again, but even when dancing, I could tell Alice seemed preoccupied with something, for she kept sending me accusing/worried glances. I didn't question them, mostly because I wasn't sure I wanted to know what she was thinking.

After the dancing, we met with Rosalie and all four of us sent in our votes for the Best-Looking Elf (Mike won that; he'd come in tights and everything, somehow miraculously managing to look like an exact elf replica). He got a plastic trophy and a gift basket with candy canes, Santa cookies, and other Christmas goodies. Then after, we went to the cafeteria for a quick lunch, filled with various types of American food like sandwiches and BBQ chicken.

Alice was currently miffed about her brother talking to me, but I didn't dare question this one either. She was doing things with a lot more force then necessary, and her tone had an impatient edge to it.

"Well, yes," I said cautiously, staring at the phone on my pillow. "It's impersonal. I like that."

Alice glanced at me from the bathroom of my bedroom. "Bella, you don't have the guts to call him?"

"Nope," I replied matter-of-factly. "I've never actually broken up with anyone before, so yeah."

Alice sighed and roughly ran a hand through her hair, wincing when she accidentally pulled out a few strands.

Shutting off the light, she headed over and plopped down next to me on the bed.

"Phone," she demanded, holding out her hand.

I quickly gave it to her.

Alice sighed wearily and gave me a tired glance. "I'll just do it for you."

My jaw dropped. "What? No! That's rude, Alice! Doesn't he deserve – "

"Jacob deserves nothing!" Alice screeched, already dialing his number. "None of those 'cool people' deserve anything," she said acidly.  
I was too stunned to even reply.

I could faintly hear the dial tone, and then a muffled "hello."

"Jacob Black?" Alice asked, abruptly sounding polite and cordial. "Hello, this is Alice Cullen. Yes, I'm Edward's little sister." She ignored my protests in the background. "Yes. Mhmm. Well, I've called to let you know that Bella can't come with you to the Winterfest." Alice's composed expression turned into a glare.

"Really?" she asked, her tone naturally disapproving. "Well, Jacob Black, that is to be expected from you. Your mistake, after all. Nonetheless, you are not going to the dance with her. Yes, she is okay with it. In fact, she has chosen to go with someone else. Yes, she is a protester just like me. Nice talking to you."

Alice slid my phone shut and handed it back to me, smiling approvingly.

"See? It was simple as that. And by the way, Jacob wanted me to tell you that he was going to cancel on you anyway, because Lauren wouldn't shut up," Alice said bluntly.

"Gee, thanks," I grumbled, pulling my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I guess it was okay. I didn't feel any disappointment or anything, so as long as I didn't hurt anywhere, I was fine with it.

Alice sighed and crawled next to me, cuddling underneath the blankets.

We sat in silence for a minute, and then Alice said, "Do you like Edward?"

That was the thing about Alice. In serious cases like these, she was straightforward and blunt, right to the point. There was no beating around the bush with her; it was right there.

I wasn't sure whether to like it or not.

"You know I like Edward," I said, remembering when we talked underneath the tree in the quad.

Alice shook her head, her expression weary. "Do you seriously, honestly like him?"

I sighed and leaned my head against the headboard. Do I like Edward? Good question. Sure, I like him. But that was all physical; which girl couldn't be enchanted by how handsome he is? Besides Alice, of course. Yet Edward reminded me of a hormonal girl with all of his annoying mood swings. One moment he's witty and conceited, the next he's indecisive, and the last he's all concerned.

And though I hated the first one listed, the last one intrigued me most. I sort of liked that one.

Regardless, do I like Edward? A small voice in the back of my mind said _yes_ but there was nothing to prove it. Not much, at least. But he was interesting, and I did want to learn more about him. Also, I always found myself wanting to defend him, wanting protect him from that horrific girlfriend of his, hating to see him in pain….Oh. _Oh. _Crap.

"Well…" I began, not sure what my answer was.

"Let me tell you a short story, Bella," Alice murmured, ignoring my statement. She leaned her head against the headboard like me and snuggled deeper underneath the blankets, sighing in content.

"My mom gave birth to me when she was sixteen. She was young and careless, and she thought she was totally and completely in love with my father, whoever he is. Esme told me that my mother had dreams of having children with him, marrying him, all that shit," Alice muttered.

"So when she gave birth to me, she expected my dad to stay with her and help take care of me. He didn't," she continued. "She had a terrible relationship with her parents, so she knew they couldn't help her. She was poor, and she had no money to support me. So you know what she did?" Alice didn't wait for answer. "She left me on a park bench in a deserted park in Alaska. That was just how idiotic she was."

Alice laughed humorlessly, staring at nothing.

"The next day, some lady managed to find me and sent me into Foster care. And then I was adopted. It was simple as that," she said in conclusion.

I sat in confusion, wondering how on earth this tied to our prior conversation.

"Wow," I said, swallowing nervously. "Good story...How does this relate?"

Alice sighed, thinking for a moment before glancing up at me. "Bella, don't do something you'll regret."

She gave me a kiss on the cheek and exited the room gracefully, leaving me to my thoughts.

_Too late,_ I thought, wondering back to the bet. But wait…my side of the bargain was accomplished. Edward lost his girlfriend. Did this mean I won? No, definitely not. Alice and Jasper still had to say it, and there was one more week to make it happen. Was there enough time? What would happen if I could get them to say it? At this point, all I could see was a tie, no winner, no loser.

Did I regret getting myself involved in the whole idea of the bargain? And did I regret eavesdropping? Oh great. I was confused now.

I bit my lip, frowning slightly. The gravity of the situation was much worse than I'd expected. Edward talking to me. Jasper and Heidi, which was still unknown. Jackie. And most of all, Tanya. Tanya, Tanya, Tanya. I was done for.

I spied on them; I really shouldn't have. I made the bet; I really shouldn't have done that. I was literally starting to like Edward; big mistake.

_Don't do something you'll regret._

Too late, Alice, I mentally responded. I think I've done several things worth regretting.

--  
**raise your hand if your confused? **jumps up and down with raised hand**

**lol okay heres ot clear things up:**

**- bella is starting to like edward. a lot.  
- the whole GUILT thing: bella feels guilty for eavesdropping, but also because she thinks she caused them to end the relationship. even though she doesnt like tanya or edward t the point where she'd jump in front of a busor qwhateever, she doesnt want to be involved and be the cause of problems. plus, this means tanya is up for revenge. sweet, ehh?  
- the whole REGRET thing: Alice's story is short and simple. her mom wanted alices father to stay and take care of them, because she really thought he would, but he didnt. so then she regretted ever having the baby, and abandoned it. therefore,alice is telling bella not to do anything she'll regret later on, liike her mom did. i hope that made sense, and that it wasnt all stupid n stuff.**

**one more thing: what should bella's new prize be for the bet? i got nothing. help??!  
**

**REVIEW please xD, and PM me if your confused. really, im sorry if you arereallyy lost. **


	16. You and Your Philosophies

**sorry i didnt update earlier this weekend. my sis's comp crashed, so she had to use mine allll day. lol so i was restricted :O**

**anyway, i wrote this chapter today and i kinda like it. xD and btw, i didnt revise it. long chapter. dont feel like it. xD  
**

**also, thanks for your coolio suggestions for bellas prize for the bet. i've decided upon one, but i'm not absolutely sure that she'll stick to it. We will have to see how it turns out. Thanks to Pochacco906 for your suggestion, which i took. and thanks for all your other ones too peoples :D  
**

**now, read and review please! :)**

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**CHAPTER 15 – You and Your Philosophies **

I gazed out at the open field for the umpteenth time, my fingers already ice cold from waiting for so long. Alice had shoved me into a black t-shirt, jean skirt, and leggings, which did not go well with the wintry weather. I mean, I had a jacket and boots on, but still. Two hours on the ice cold bleachers was not a fun roller coaster.

I had occupied my time reading my worn out copy of _Macbeth,_ deciding for once, against _Wuthering Heights. _Regardless, my teeth chattered as a heavy gust of wind blew again. I was probably insane for sitting out here alone, while everyone else hung out in their dorms where the heaters blasted.

Where was Edward? I anxiously looked over the empty campus again, trying to not feel bad that he wasn't coming. It was Saturday, at 2 PM. Or it was 2 PM. He _always_ appeared. We always met here, and on occasional Sundays. The only reason why I ever came to the football field was to see him, even if it meant more arguments on our contradicting philosophies and whatnot.

I was disappointed, and that was that.

Sighing, I shoved my book back into my backpack and wearily stepped down the bleachers, still peeking at the quad, which was currently empty. I really should have watched where I was stepping, though, for I managed to trip again.

See? If Edward were here, he would have caught me.

-------o-------

"What the hell is going on?" I gasped, stepping into my dorm room.

The entire living room of the dorm was filled with papers, legal documents, and a bunch of other stuff I couldn't decipher. Paper was scattered all over the floor, as if a cyclone just blew through the whole place. Two laptops were wide open, sitting on the coffee table. Rosalie was furiously typing, her eyes glued to the screen, while Emmett looked completely at ease, although his forehead was creased in a small frown.

Due to my exclamation, both of them looked up from their screens.

"Shh!" Rosalie shushed me irritably, her fingers still drumming across the keyboard. "College applications are damn important, so go do something," Rosalie snapped.

She looked like a mess; her hair was all messy, her make up was slightly smeared, and her clothes were sort of wrinkled. She still looked beautiful, of course, but I was surpised to see that sh would actually let someone like Emmett see her like this.

Emmett didn't seem to mind my presence though.

He smiled at me while Rosalie roughly grabbed her Starbucks and took a huge swerve of it, only to spit it out and let out a string of profanities.

"It's cold!" she gasped, looking highly uptight as she threw it into the trash can.

I looked at her in alarm, but Emmett roared with laughter.

"Rose, babe, that's from last night," he said, trying to refrain from laughing at the furious expression on Rosalie's face.

Rosalie wrinkled her nose in disgust, and then she sighed.

"How many schools are you applying to?" I asked, maneuvering through the scattered papers and plopping down on the couch. I shoved some of the extra booklets and manuals about various colleges out of the way.

"Eight," Rosalie applied, her fingers drumming again.

"Five," Emmett responded, scratching the side of his head.

"Well," I started, "Good luck."

Rosalie snorted. "I'll need it."

"Which school are you on now?" I inquired.

"School number 5," Rosalie sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I had to call Charlie last night and ask him about a bunch of stuff about his work or whatever, and then I have to do the essays and fill out the forms and…"

Rosalie looked close to tears.

"Don't worry, Rose," Emmett cooed. "You've still got time."

"I – have – not – got – time!" Rosalie shouted, her eyes wide and panicked. She stared at the screen for a moment, and then the sound of the keyboard filled the room once again.

"So, where's Alice?" I asked, looking around the room.

"Jasper," Rosalie and Emmett replied simultaneously, not looking up from their work.

"O….kay," I said, standing up and backing towards my bedroom door.

As I got closer to it, Rosalie and Emmett looked up at each other from their laptops and smirked, laughing silently about something. Some inside joke, I bet, and it probably involved a bed and no clothes.

I shuddered at the fact that the thought even crossed my mind.

Resisting the urge to gag, I opened the door of my room and –

Oh, God. No. Please, please, please no.

"What the – what in the – how – what – " Shit. Please tell me I'm imagining…

"Bella," Edward said smugly, smirking as he sat on my bed. "I know kindergarteners who can form complete sentences."

"_YOU!_" I screamed hysterically, dropping my things onto the floor. I wasn't exactly sure why I suddenly switched to panic mode. "What the hell are you doing here? In my room? Without my consent? Who let this – "

Rosalie and Emmett roared with laughter outside my bedroom door.

I let out a frustrated grunt and nearly tore the door off its hinges.

"You let him in!" I shrieked at Rosalie, who was on the floor, rolling around.

"H-he wanted t-to s-see you!" she stammered defensively, between giggles. "We figured that if we told you, you would only leave the room."

"Rosalie Swan!" I shouted, about to storm over there and rip the hair off her pretty little head.

Before I could, though, someone grabbed my arm and tugged me back into the room.

Edward closed my bedroom door and stared at me for a moment, his hand still wrapped around my wrist.

I opened my mouth, but he cut me off.

"Bella," Edward murmured, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "Calm down."

I couldn't calm down, though. For one thing, I was in a room. Alone. With a boy. A very hot boy for that matter, but hey, what did it matter, right? Yeah, it mattered a lot. Secondly, who knows how long he'd been in my room? He could have found my journals and gone through my clothes and underwear…God knows the humiliation that could bring. That seemed like the exact thing he would do. This was Edward Cullen we're talking about.

As if he read my mind, Edward smiled affectionately and said, "I didn't go through any of your things."

I narrowed my eyes at him, wretched my hand out of his grip, and angrily stormed over to my bed, where he was sitting earlier.

Edward kneeled down for a moment, picked up my backpack for me, and set it in the corner of the room. Then, he, too, sat down two feet away from me on the bed.

I sort of wanted him closer.

"Bella, I'm sorry, really," he apologized. "But I swear that all I did was sit here and wait for you."

Speaking of waiting… "Fine. Why didn't you come to the bleachers today?" I asked quietly, wondering if he heard the hint of disappointment in my voice.

Judging by the look on his face, he did. Edward sighed. "Well, for one thing, it's really cold outside," he began nervously. "Honestly? Tanya was being insanely agitating," he said, frowning. "She kept calling and begging for me to take her back."

It was my turn to frown. Wasn't Tanya the one who broke up with Edward?

"I know. It's strange," Edward murmured in his silky voice. "I feel like there's something missing, you know?" he asked me rhetorically. Without waiting for an answer, he just lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

In the process, his black sweater rode up just a smudge, giving me a small view of his pale, muscular stomach. As I stared at his figure, laying so peacefully on my bed, I could only marvel at how handsome and godly he looked. Just like an angel. Or Adonis. So perfect.

And then there was me. Hell, I wasn't even pretty like Rosalie. I didn't deserve Edward, whether I wanted him or not. Rosalie or Tanya were popular, and I was nothing.

"Sometimes," he started, and I moved my gaze to his face, "I don't know whether she loves me or not."

"Love is a big word," I said automatically. Edward's eyes moved to my face, and he raised his eyebrows at me. I answered his unasked question. "It's four letters, of course. But I don't believe in love at an age this young."

His eyebrows shot up higher, but he didn't move from his position. "You don't believe in love?"  
"I don't believe in love _now_," I corrected.

"I have to say I disagree," he murmured. Here we go with our contradicting philosophies again.

"How so, Mr. Cullen?"

"Well, Miss Swan," he said, laughing quietly, "Love is possible at any age. _I _think so. Your turn."

I stared at him for a moment, and then burst out laughing. "That is so short," I giggled. Edward only shrugged and flicked his hand, opting for me to continue. "Mr. Cullen, I do need to say that as young teenagers, we are naïve and don't know anything about the world. I'm sure there are wise ones out there, and I'm sure there's such a thing as really, really liking someone, but is it really love?" I asked him. He pursed his lips thoughtfully. I continued, "You wouldn't know it. You'll think it's love, but it really isn't. Because one day, when you're twenty-five, and you're older and more mature, you'll really know what it's like to love someone."

"True. I see from your perspective," Edward allowed. Then he smirked at me. "But I still disagree with it."

I raised my eyebrows, and his smirk widened.

"When you love someone, you would jump in front of a bus for them. You can buy them pretty flowers and expensive diamonds. But that's not all. Love can be unspoken." He sat up on my bed so that he could look at me properly. "The look in one's eyes is enough, wouldn't you agree? Just the way one can stare at his love and know that she's the only thing that matters to him. Or the way he touches her, gentle and intimate. Or even the way he kisses her" – I blushed, and Edward smiled – "Sweetly, gently. He can lay with her in bed and just gaze into her eyes for eternity, and he knows that wherever she is, he's home, even if his real home is 30,000 miles away. See, Bella?" he asked, his sweet breath filling my nose. "It doesn't matter how old you are. You could be ten…twenty…seventeen…"

He trailed off, pursed his lips again, and then lay back down on the bed.

He seemed satisfied at my awed expression.

"Not so short now, right, Miss Swan?" he asked, smirking.

I opened my mouth to talk, but no sound came out.

Edward chuckled. "Now of course, we have the spoken ways to prove love," he said slowly.

"How?" I asked cautiously. "I mean, anyone can just say 'I love you' and get away with it."

"True," he agreed again. "But I don't believe anyone should say those three words unless they mean it."

He said it so strongly that I didn't think anyone could oppose him. And he was dead serious. Edward Cullen was almost never somber, and if he wasn't teasing, then he was either really serious or really sick.

I stared at him. He didn't look like he was running a fever. So that left me with really serious.

"Of course," I said.

We sat in silence for a moment, just staring at each other.

I vaguely heard the _tap-tap_ of the laptop keyboard just outside my bedroom, both Rosalie and Emmett typing away on their college applications. I was absolutely sure Rosalie was applying to Harvard, for she actually wants to be a lawyer. She was probably applying to Yale and Cornell, just for the sake of their publicity. And knowing her, she would probably get into all of them. She was, after all, really smart.

A lock of Edward's bronze-colored hair had fallen into his eyes, blocking a pool of green. I resisted the urge to move it away, because then I'd probably end up running my hand through his hair over and over, just to see how soft it is. He was so attractive and godly, and then his personality…I was starting to like it.

But then again, I was starting to like _him. _

But weren't we supposed to be like…rivals or something? I remember hating him with every fiber of my being, yet feeling highly intimidated by his presence. Where did I ever get the courage to stand up to him in any way? And then suddenly, he was pouring his heart out to me about love and what he thought of it.

We always talked about things like this during our occasional meetings at the football field, but we never went deep as in love. Perhaps, love isn't such a big deal for Edward. It certainly is for me. But the way he described it, and the look in his eyes while he spoke to me didn't betray his words. He meant everything he said, I was sure of it. There was no denying. And there was also no denying that he was definitely winning me over.

"Where does this put us?" he asked me softly.

I looked at him for a moment, wondering if he'd read my mind.

When I didn't respond, a corner of his lips turned into his adorable crooked grin.

"I mean, for the bet," he said. "You have no prize."

"Who can guarantee that I win?"

"Better safe than sorry," Edward said, smiling.

"And you're leaving it up to me to decide?" I asked him, shocked.

He shrugged. "It was my fault that your prize is gone. It'd only be fair for you to decide your new one."

"Wow," I said. "You are being lenient."

Edward laughed, and I tried committing the sound to memory. "Yep," he responded smugly. "Tell me, Bella," he murmured, suddenly solemn. "You can have whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?" I asked incredulously. "Yeah, right," I said, laughing bitterly. "Like anyone gives me what I want."

"What _do_ you want, Bella?" he asked me. When I didn't reply, he continued, "Because I'd do anything to be living the life you have."

"I'm a girl."

"What? I hadn't noticed," Edward said, rolling his eyes. "Bella, you talk to your sister. You have perfect grades. You're nice, you're modest, you're gorgeous, you are…everything that I –" he stopped and frowned. "You're everything," he corrected.

I gawked at him. "Edward Cullen!" I gasped, slapping his arm. "You are out of your mind to want my life," I snapped. "I'm not beautiful or popular or lovable. I'm not stylish or chic. I would kill to be in the spotlight," I said softly.

Edward snorted. "So what you want is to be popular?"

"I want to be like my sister, yes," I said.

Edward sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Let me tell you something, Bella," he said quietly, leaning down so that our noses were almost touching. "Rosalie is a self-centered, pig-headed girl who only cares about herself, her popularity, and her clique. She's smart, but she has no personality."

"Then why does Emmett like her?" I retorted, feeling a flare of anger at him for talking about Rosalie like that. But then again…he was sort of right.

"Because Emmett just does," Edward replied, his eyes fierce. "He loves her. And honestly, to each his own."

I stared at him.

Edward closed his eyes, pinched his nose, sighed, and then eventually dropped his hand from his nose. "What do you want, Bella?"

"What do you mean, what do I want?"

"Ask for anything," he said. "For your new prize."

"Why? I'm only going to get it if I win," I said.

"Yes, well, I'm only going to get to kiss you if _I_ win, so we're even," he muttered quietly, sounding slightly mad at himself. I don't think I was supposed to hear that…

"Bella, just answer. I'm not going to hide anything from you," he said wearily.

"I want to know more about you," I breathed.

Edward's response was a shocked face. "Bella, you don't need to win a bet to know more about me. I could just tell you. What...What do you want to know?"

"No, I…" I said, shaking my head, "I want you to get away from Jacob. I want you to just stop doing what you do and just be yourself." _I want you to want me. _"Because seriously, Edward, sometimes, I just can't tell whether to like you or not." I wasn't sure whether that was a lie or not.

Edward stared at me for the longest moment.

"There's a thing called a charade," he finally said, and I could almost see the brick wall being built around him. "It's a wall people put up before others to deceive their minds. Humans tend to be quite gullible." He winked at me, and then looked serious again. "But if you want to really see what I'm like, Bella, it's not that big of a deal. You could win the bet. But just know that there are other options open."

I nodded, and Edward sighed, seemingly disappointed in my choice for a prize. But that was it. Anything else I wanted, he wouldn't or couldn't give me. That was how it worked.

-------o-------

"Did you finish your college apps?" I asked Rosalie as soon as the door shut. Knowing Emmett and Edward, they were probably on the other side of the door, pressing their ears against it just to hear what we were talking about.

"No," Rosalie sighed, running a hand through her hair and then beginning to organize the living room. "I've still got two more schools to do."

"Where are you applying?"

"I dunno. Columbia, UCI, all the important ones," Rosalie said. "I mean, I think I have the grades for them. If I don't become a lawyer, I can just be like, some model or something. I don't know yet, honestly," she added.

I patted her back in reassurance. "Don't worry, sis, you'll find something to major in."

Rosalie laughed. "Yeah. I better, if I ever plan to do anything with my life."

I smiled and handed her the last of the papers, which she neatly filed into a folder.

"So, how are things going with you and Dan?"

Rosalie smirked. "Dan has become rebellious. Not that he ever wasn't rebellious. Dan…doesn't like me. Let's just put it that way," she said, laughing about something. "But don't worry, I'm not having any affair with him." She shook her head, as if finding the thought repulsive, and stood up.

"Good. What's his name." It came out more like a statement.

Rosalie rolled her eyes at my persistence.

"Bella, he and I prefer to act as if the whole situation never happened. In fact, our relationship is almost businesslike. Maybe we'll do business together someday," she joked. "I'm completely and totally in love with Emmett, don't worry."

"And speaking of Emmett," I added, smirking, "How's it going with breaking up with Jessica? He has one week to do it."

"Good question," Rosalie sighed. "That bitch is really annoying me," she said bluntly. "I will need to talk to Emmett about it. We'll need to make it suck for her."

"You are so mean," I said as she headed towards her bedroom.

"Well, dearie, what goes around comes around," she sang. "Jessica mean. I be mean to her. Everyone happies, right lassie?" she teased. I wasn't sure what she was going for…

I rolled my eyes at her.

"By the way, Bella," Rosalie said, opening the door of her room. She smiled warmly at me. "I think Edward likes you."

Something about the look on her face told me she knew it all along.

--  
**WHATD YOU GUYS THINK?!?!? REIVEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

i think it was a cool chappyy. but then again, if u hate it, i undersand. :) like edward said, to each his/her own. :P and i hope i didnt like screw up te wholee new prize thingyy. i tried not to.  


**and i dont really get what happened wirh the whole everyone happies right lassie with rosalie. i jsut felt like doing it. weird random moment of mine. LOL.**

**review please :D**


	17. Are You Intimate or Intense?

**sorry for the late update. when you put a writers block and the story Wide Awake together, you dont get much done. ive been hooked to it for a while now. lol. its good ff xD. you should check it out if you havent already.**

**umm so yeah. the beginnign of this chapter was rocky, but the ending was cool. i was like WOO! done. xD and the next chapter...cant wait to write it. or post it. :) LONG CHAPTER.  
**

**reviews please :D**

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**CHAPTER 16 – Are You Intimate or Intense?**

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow," I squeaked, stumbling down the hallway in my new stiletto heels, the ones Alice wanted me to break in.

I was literally sliding along the wall, grabbing at anything possible to prevent my face from meeting the floor. The dorm door seemed so far away, and my feet and ankles felt stiff and sore. At this rate, by the time the Winterfest Dance came around, I wouldn't even be able to walk, much less dance.

The shoes were pretty, I'd admit that. But they were painful – a ghastly five inches. Alice had told me to break them in just in time for the Winterfest Dance, so it was slightly odd for me to walk around in a t-shirt, hoodie, jeans…and then dress shoes. My friends had asked me what was up with it, and I gave them the truth – Alice. Regardless, I needed to exchange the Christmas gifts I'd bought for them, and thus, I got gifts in return. They were all neatly wrapped and had a solid shape, which made them hard to carry, with me wobbling and all. They also looked expensive, for some reason. And that only made things worse.

I managed, though.

What a baby, I thought, rolling my eyes at my prudence. With newfound determination, I unglued my hip and arm from the wall and attempted to walk properly, chin up and squared shoulders – like Rosalie.

Epic failure.

I scrambled up off the floor, picked up my Christmas presents, and decided to go back to Plan A – clutching the wall.

I began making my way towards my dorm door. Simultaneously, Jacob and Emmett exited out of them, talking and chatting amiably. They didn't notice my presence until I managed to trip again, eliciting an audible whimper.

"Bella!" Emmett called, grinning cheekily as he dashed over to me and helped me up.

I blushed as his big bulky hands pulled me to my feet, and then he bent down and retrieved my gifts. "Thanks," I replied, wondering when the heck this relationship formed between us. Not that I minded – Emmett was very nice despite his huge, muscular figure.

Jacob stood aside, smiling tentatively at me, looking almost abashed. He also looked the same – coal black eyes, dark messy hair, copper skin.

"Hey!" Emmett exclaimed, handing me the boxes. "I need to get you your gift. It's sitting back at my dorm. And Rosalie's too!" I didn't miss the fact that he left out Alice's name. "I'll drop them off sometime tonight, and Jasper's too," he informed me.

I blushed again. "Emmett, you didn't have to get me anything."

"Squirt," he said, ruffling my hair playfully. "You're like the little sister I never had. We need to hang out more. I like your blush, by the way," he said, squishing my cheeks like my Aunt Petunia did.

Emmett winked at me while I rubbed my red cheeks.

"Hi, Bella," Jacob said, finally announcing his presence. I gaped at his sudden geniality.

Rolling his eyes at me, Jacob laughed and ushered Emmett away.

Once Emmett was out of earshot, he stuck his hands deep into his jean pockets.

"So…" Jacob said awkwardly, his coal black eyes darting towards the floor. He rocked back and forth on his feet for a moment, looking a lot like a five-year-old boy. "Listen," he added seconds later, finally bringing his eyes up to meet mine. "I'm sorry. Really."

I rubbed my sore foot gingerly while leaning my shoulder against the wall. "What for?" And honestly, I didn't care. I just wanted to get to the dorm room so I could take the death traps off. Alice warned me that the more I walked in them, the more comfortable they would be by the time the Winterfest came around. This was why I was trying so hard. No need to embarrass myself in front of my blind date.

"About the dance," he responded, grabbing onto my arm to keep me from wobbling.

I smiled in thanks, but then rolled my eyes. "Doesn't matter."

"I just sort of…stood you up in a way," Jacob murmured in his husky voice. "And I want to apologize for that."

I smiled at him – I was a big sucker for apologies, and the look on his face reminded me of a lost puppy. "It's fine, Jacob. Alice has everything covered."

A look of relief crossed his face, and his grin reminded me of Emmett's.

"Thanks a million, Bella," he said.

"No problem." I was starting to like this Jacob. He was the more logical side of Lauren, which was good. I guess. "Hey, do you mind helping me to the dorm? If I go any farther on my own, I'm going to need physical therapy."

-------o-------

Oh kill me now. The dress wasn't going to fit. I'd either gained too much weight or lost too much weight. And since when did I care about my weight?

Alice handed me the dress, absolutely bouncing in excitement.

"Two hours!" she sang delightfully. "And you will look razzly-dazzly for your blind date."

I gave her a strained smile. "Yeah. Woo-hoo."

Alice's smile wavered and eventually turned into a frown. "Bella, where the heck is your Christmas spirit? It's Christmas Eve! Now go put this dress on," she demanded, pushing me towards my bedroom.

I'd seen the dress before, when Alice had shown it to me in her "fashion studio." But never had I tried it on, and Alice hadn't said anything about doing so either. Nonetheless, the dress fit like a glove, ending in a loose flare just above my knees.

I glanced at myself in the bathroom mirror, spinning around and looking at my backside, then my front. The dress hugged my chest perfectly, revealing a bit of cleavage, but not too much to the point where it was slutty. It was also very comfortable, but then I remembered the shoes.

I applied mascara and eyeliner, figuring that it would save Alice some time. I tried to put on some smoky eye shadow, attempting to look somewhat seductive. It didn't work.

After rinsing off all of the eye make-up, I exited my bedroom only to have Alice meet me right at the door, already in her dress. She grabbed my arm and tugged me towards her room. Alice applied the make-up perfectly, humming a cheerful tune in her soprano voice while dancing around. She put my hair into soft curls at the bottom, leaving the top part of the strands stick straight.

While I pulled on my own strappy shoes, Alice went to work on herself.

It was about ten minutes later when Rosalie announced her arrival in Alice's room.

"Tell me just how hot I look!" Rosalie said smugly as she appeared in the doorway. The black, floor-length dress fit her figure perfectly. After all, Rosalie skipped tonight's dinner – along with many others – just to ensure that she could fit in it.

Alice let out a mocking whistle. "Woo, I'd take you in a second."

Rosalie laughed, her blond hair once again extra curly.

"So, how did the break-up go with Stanley?" Alice asked lightly.

Rosalie barely tore her gaze away from her reflection in the floor-length mirror.

"Emmett stuck it to her good," my sister responded indifferently. "Had Jessica in tears."

Alice nodded nonchalantly. "Cool. How's Lauren taking it?"

"How did Lauren get into this?"

Alice giggled. "Look at her clique, Rose. It's falling apart."

I thought about what she said, and agreed with her. It reminded me of a shooting game, as if Rosalie, Alice, and I were the shooters, aiming them at the couples. Emmett and Jessica – terminated. Jasper and Cassidy – and partially Heidi, I suppose – terminated. Edward and Tanya – terminated. The only people left were Jacob and Lauren, whose relationship would probably crumble too. With Lauren being his girlfriend and all.

Lauren was a bitch. I recalled the friendly, un-teasing expression on Jacob's face and concluded that he was nicer than I'd expected, and that Lauren? Well, she could go to hell for all I cared.

And Tanya could meet her there, I thought before I could stop myself.

Alice closed the lid on her stick of mascara and dashed over to her clutch, pulling out a cell phone.

"I've got some…arrangements to make," Alice said, winking at me suggestively, "with your blind date."

Oh yeah. That.

Once Alice was out of earshot, I cast a worried glance in Rosalie's direction.

"Do you know who it is?" I asked her, feeling nauseous.

"Alice didn't crack," Rosalie said glumly, and I tried not to look disappointed at her answer.

It hadnt bothered me much until about four days before the dance, when the possibilities – both good and bad – ran through my mind.

Jacob was out of the question, I knew that for sure. Could it be Blake, Rosalie's skater boy guy friend, or Mike, who was clingy and possessive? There was even Tyler and Eric, but I doubted Alice would set me up with them. She didn't like them much. But then again, she didn't like Edward either, yet she pushed me to go with him rather than Jacob at one point. My heart sped up at the thought of going to the Winterfest with him.

I involuntarily smiled when Edward's handsome face made its way into my mind. But it annoyed me that I couldn't get the exact way his bronze-colored hair went, tousled and messy. I couldn't place which strand went where, although I knew it always changed. I remembered the long, strong fingers that clutched the pencil in biology, but was highly irritated that I couldn't remember the precise color of his eyes. Green? Emerald green? Sea green? What does emerald green look like, exactly? The last time I saw him was in my bedroom, when we had the deep conversation about love. It still rang through my mind every now and then. But the last time I saw him seemed like eons ago.

Alice's squeal of excitement snapped me out of my thoughts.

Rosalie and I both turned our gaze in her direction, and she was glowing with pride.

"It's all settled," Alice said proudly, shoving her phone back into her sparkly clutch and scooping it up. "He'll be here in record's time. Ready girls?"

"Emmett and Jasper will be here soon," Rosalie responded, grabbing her own purse and staring at her phone screen. "They're walking to the room right now." She glanced at me and smirked. "With your mystery date."

Alice looked at herself in the mirror one last time, applying last-minute lip gloss.

"Jasper and I will be spending Christmas Eve together, so don't expect me to come home tonight," Alice murmured, sounding excited.

Rosalie nodded in agreement. "Emmett invited me to stay at his dorm tonight, so I wont be coming home either."

I sighed – another lonely Saturday. Why did they even bother to tell me? They did it nearly every night anyway.

A faint knock sounded, and Alice and Rosalie clawed and tore at each other to get to the door first. I, on the other hand, took my time walking. It was already bad enough that I was in heels. No need to increase my chances of death.

"Emmett!" Rosalie squealed, throwing her arms around the enormous figure in the doorway.

Jasper squeezed his way through, looking clad and handsome in a black tux, white shirt, and white tie. His eyes were trained on Alice, and in his hand, he held a corsage that sported a soft pink rose. Where they got these items, I wasn't sure.

Jasper barely acknowledged me, giving me a faint, "hey bella" before pulling Alice into a sweet embrace that had her feet off the floor. Alice squealed like Rosalie, but she didn't kiss Jasper like Rosalie had kissed Emmett. Instead, Jasper set her down on the ground and smiled at her, the both of them just staring into each other's eyes.

I looked away, feeling like I was intruding on something.

"Bella," a familiar voice said.

I crossed my fingers, hoping that when I turned around it would be Edward. Slowly, I spun around, already having my heart beat twenty miles a minute. His pale skin, his bronze hair, those green eyes –

Wait. Those are blue eyes.

"Mike!" I said loudly, with forced enthusiasm and a frozen smile. "Hey."

Mike grinned cheekily at me, looking a lot like a happy toddler in a black tux that made his eyes stand out. He was also wearing a blue tie, a color that matched my dress.

"Hi, Bella," he said giddily, holding up a corsage for me.

I gingerly handed him my wrist, trying to send a subtle glance in Alice's direction.

Mike fumbled, his expression very focused as he tried to get the yellow flower onto my wrist. I breathed a sigh of relief – yellow was friendship. Good.

Once he managed to get it onto my wrist, we looked at each other and laughed. I laughed at his naivety, and he laughed at his…stupidity. We both looked at the other two, who were highly absorbed in one another, and I squirmed at the awkwardness.

At one point Mike looked back at me, giving me a day-dreamy look that had his eyes trained on my lips. Abruptly, he began to lean toward me…

I thought quickly. Mike Newton for my first kiss. Oh. Hell no.

"Alice, Rose, we don't want to miss the dance!" I said loudly, taking a half step away from Mike and snapping Rosalie and Alice out of their bubbles.

Rosalie seemed to catch my plan, while Alice blushed.

"Let's go!" Rosalie said haughtily, holding her chin up high and flipping her long blond hair.

Mike cast me an apologetic look but otherwise held out a hand for me to take. Before I could take it, Alice had me out of the door, and the both of us were towing way ahead of the rest of them.

"Mike. Newton," I grunted stiffly, refusing to look at her while we waited for the elevator to come.

"Bella!" Alice pleaded in a half-whisper. "He likes you! And besides, he can totally help you. He's nice, and he was up for the offer."

I snorted. "Of course he was up for the offer. No one likes me besides him. I should have expected it," I said softly, dropping my eyes to my feet.

"Bella," Alice pleaded, looking quickly at the figures approaching us, "I'm sorry."

I forced a smile at her. "Look, Alice, it's fine. It's just one night."

"Can I make it up to you?"

"Only one night, Alice," I repeated, putting both of my hands on her shoulders. "Besides, he isn't going to take this seriously."

-------o-------

Oh Lord.

"I am _so_ sorry, Mike," I said for the umpteenth time, blushing at my obvious klutziness. A look of sheer pain crossed his face.

Curse Alice for these heels.

I could barely dance in bare feet, and here I was, attempting to dance with Mike in death traps. It was sure to be the end. For both of us.

"No problem, Bella," he said in a strained, agonized voice. I could tell he was resisting the urge to scream like a girl at the pain in his feet. Mike really wasn't that bad at dancing – at least I didn't think so. I think it was _my_ dancing that really made him screw up. And for that, I had zero dignity.

"Really," I said guiltily, "Sorry, Mike."

He grinned sheepishly. "No worries. Hey, can we sit down?"

Thank goodness he said that.

While Mike began mingling with Ben Cheney and Angela Weber, my eyes scanned the dance floor again. It was already eight, and the dance started at six and ended at twelve. The announcements for Winter Queen would be at 11:15 PM, which was something Rosalie was looking forward to. I looked at the voting table, where Alice and Jasper were standing to cast their votes. The faculty managed to divide the nominees down to the four rulers of the school – Rosalie and Lauren for Queen, and Emmett and Jacob for King. There was bound to be a twist.

Tyler was at the DJ table in a black tuxedo. His earphones were lopsided on his head, and he was bobbing his head up and down to the upbeat pace of _Kelsey_ by Metro Station.

Lauren was with Jacob in the middle of the dance floor, dancing like…a whore. Seriously. I tore my gaze away from them in fear of gagging and rushing to the nearest bathroom. Her dress was of course, very short and very revealing.

Jessica and Tanya stood in the corner, looking livid. Tanya was glowering at me while Jessica was glared daggers at Rosalie, who was prancing around with Jessica's ex-boyfriend. People at the dance walked by gawking and quickly dashed over to the table to cast their votes.

At this rate, Emmett and Rosalie would surely beat out Lauren and Jacob. Right? Oh, the catastrophe.

But despite the numerous amounts of people here, there wasn't a bronze head in sight. Where was Edward? I was looking desperately around the room, hoping to find him at the punch table, at the voting table, in the corner, near Tanya – as much as I despised it, perhaps on the dance floor. Nowhere. And I wanted to chastise myself for even looking for him. It was as if I was this long lost puppy searching for his mother. Instead, I was a long lost teenager looking for her crush. _Oh, so now he's a crush?_

"Bella!" a sweet voice called.

I smiled as Jackie approached me shyly, wearing a simple maroon dress. She still looked extravagant in it.

"Hi, Jackie," I greeted her warmly as she sat down on the seat next to mine.

"You look awesome," she complimented me.

My smile widened, and I blushed. "Thanks. You look nice too, Jackie, I mean, I've never seen you in maroon. It looks good on you."

She grinned. "Thanks. Blue looks fantastic on you, too," Jackie replied. She fumbled with the hem of her dress for lack of anything better to do.

"Who's your date?" I asked as the music switched to Rihanna.

Jackie blushed and pointed her thumb in the opposite corner. "Luke Norman. And yours?"

I nudged my thumb in Mike's direction, and Jackie peered over my shoulder, frowning.

"Ummm…"

It was then that I recognized the silky, feminine voice.

" – absolutely _dashing_ in that tux of yours," Tanya said, flipping her strawberry blond hair and leaning close to Mike. Poor guy – he looked like he was about to pass out. Apparently, Ben and Angela left.

Tanya moved her pale eyes momentarily to me before trailing them back to Mike.

"It" – she put a hand on his knee – "must've cost" – she trailed it up his leg – "_so_ much money." I wanted to puke. "_So_ worth it though," Tanya said, trailing it up higher. "I mean, Mike, you totally know how to make a girl just _lose it."_

Jackie had her jaw wide open, and I arched an eyebrow at Tanya. Stealing my date. This was the best she could do?

The look Tanya gave me told me the answer to my question. _No._

Oh Lord. Again.

"Michael," she said silkily, using her best skills of seduction, "It's cold. I left my jacket back at the dorm. Would you like to come get it with me?"

Mike looked torn, glancing between me and Tanya. I didn't even try to persuade him. I waved him off with the flick of my hand.

He still didn't move. Thanks for being loyal, Mike. Thanks for trying.

"I'm just _so_," Tanya started dramatically, "_cold._ I'm sure there are ways you could warm me up," she said suggestively.

Jackie's jaw managed to drop lower, and I widened my eyes. Wow, she really was determined. I narrowed my eyes at Tanya, and she smiled innocently.

And poor Mike – he was sweating.

Just when he was about to give in, I yelled his name before even thinking.

I put a hand on his shoulder just as his eyes snapped in my direction. "Mike, I had plans for us tonight. Christmas Eve." I moved my eyes to Tanya, satisfied to see the smug smile off her face. "You and I, Mike. Together. Just us two."

Not true, but I couldn't care less.

Mike's eyes visibly brightened. "Bella, really? That –"

"But _I," _Tanya interrupted sternly, causing Mike to look back at her, "have to give you something. It's back at my dorm."

"Which you can get on your own," I grumbled stiffly, shaking his shoulder. Mike looked back at me, his baby blue eyes wide and confused. "You can come to my dorm tonight. Rosalie and Alice won't be there, so you and I –"

"Or," Tanya interjected. Mike looked at her blankly. "You can spend the night with me. I need warming up."

"The heaters can do that," I retorted.

"The heaters aren't good enough," she responded, glowering at me.

"The heaters are _fine._"

"They are irrelevant." Tanya glanced at Mike and tugged on his leg. "Come back with me tonight. We can have fun together."

"They – are – not – ir – relevant," I retorted, tugging on his shoulder. I stared into his baby blue eyes. "Mike, we can hang out and watch Transformers or something. Instead of Mean Girls, like Tanya would show you."

"Actually," Tanya said, putting her hand on his cheek and making him face her, "I've got Lord of the Rings. You like Lord of the Rings, right?"

"Lord of the Rings," I scoffed. "Oh, no," I said, shaking my head and yanking Mike's shoulder. "You, Mike, need something manlier, like Star Wars."

"Star Wars!" Tanya yelled dramatically, putting a hand over her heart. "Look at that, Mike, she's questioning your manliness. We all know" – she leaned into the side of his neck and placed a kiss there – "that all _true_ men watch Lord of the Rings."

Technically, no. Seth watches Star Wars. But is he a man? Not really. But back on topic.

"I'm sure," I retorted as Mike turned back to me, looking amused at the fact that he was being fought over by two girls, "that Mike would _much_ _rather _watch Yoda kill Darth Vader with a light saber than see stupid people in war over a damn ring."

"Actually," Jackie murmured into my ear. I'd almost forgotten her presence. "Darth Vader committed suicide."

_Right. I knew that._

"Mike would _much rather_ watch Darth Vader commit suicide than see stupid people in war over a damn ring. Right Mike?"

Tanya didn't give him a chance to respond. "But Lord of the Rings," she said, causing him to turn his head again,"is intense. Mike, you and I can be intense _together._"

"Hah!" I snorted. "Intense," I giggled. "That's funny. That's real funny."

Tanya glowered at me. "Is there something wrong about being intense?"

"Don't you mean intimate?" Jackie added.

Tanya glared at her, too, and Jackie recoiled. Tanya smiled sweetly at me, then turned to Mike.

"I'll show you intimate."

And then she grabbed the back of his head and kissed him.

It was the most repulsive thing I'd ever seen. Jackie and I watched them, open-mouthed and extremely disgusted, unable to tear our eyes away from them. No one noticed our little exchange, because couples were too wrapped up in each other. But nonetheless, it was happening.

"Wow," Jackie said into my ear. "That really is intimate."

"More like intense," I responded.

Tanya pulled back, and Mike looked as if he was gazing at an angel - open-mouthed and all.

"Now, Michael," Tanya said, smoothing out her dress (not that there was much to smooth out), "Come with me to my dorm."

She didn't wait for anything. She merely grabbed his hand and towed him out of the building before I could utter a sound.

"You two are like a soap opera," Jackie finally said.

"Well, I'll be damned," I said, astonished. "Tanya just stole my date."

Jackie rubbed my shoulder soothingly. "It's okay. You'll find another one. Eventually."

And that gave me an idea.

"_I'll be there on the sidelines, waiting for you to crawl back to me so we can enjoy a beautiful dance under the moonlight while Jacob, Tanya, and Lauren all sulk in the background."_

Edward's voice echoed in my ear, and I involuntarily smiled. Again.

Jackie looked at me questioningly. "Bella?"

I glanced at Alice, who was dancing wholeheartedly with Jasper on the dance floor. She wouldn't notice me. Rosalie was nowhere in sight, and neither was Emmett. No one would notice I was gone. Just like no one noticed Edward's absence.

I stood up. "Thanks, Jackie."

She stood up as well. "Umm…you're welcome?"

I laughed and pulled her into a hug. "Go back to your date."

Jackie smiled sheepishly. "'Kay." She followed my gaze, which was trained on the exit of the cafeteria building where the dance was held. "But where are you going, Bella?"

"To find mine."

I exhaled, my breath coming out in a mist, once I stepped out into the cold winter air. The wind bit my skin, but I didn't care. I walked towards the boys' dormitory, where I knew - just knew - he was waiting for me.

--  
**WHATD YOU GUYS THINK?!!? i thoguht the whle tanya debate was kinda funny. and dont worry, i have nothing against star wars or lord of the rings or anything. i just thought itd be kinda funnyyt. and sorry if the info on it is wrong, im not a fan of it either. i had to ask my friend lol.**

**the next chapter will be freakingg fluff, so i cant wait. hope you cant wait either :) also, who do you think will win queen and kking??! hah. and btw, of course i wouldnt let bella go wtih edward. psshh. nooo. shes got a big night coming up in the next chapter.**

**hope you liked it. drop a review :)**


	18. You Sing Sweetly

**nine pages. squeals!  
**

**review :D**

--

**CHAPER 17 – You Sing Sweetly**

I stood outside Edward Cullen's dorm, my fist suspended mid-air, ready to knock if necessary. Without a doubt, Edward was probably behind the door, that infamous crooked grin planted on his full lips. That grin would probably widen the moment he saw me at his room, his emerald green eyes screaming "I told you so." Or maybe he'd say it out loud. Either way, he was right. He was always right.

I realized I was still standing in the middle of the hallway, the light casting a yellow glow in the area. My fist was still hanging about three inches away from the door, and I chewed on my bottom lip nervously.

I could just imagine his reaction if I were to knock.

"I told you so," I repeated in my mind. Or maybe he'd send me a witty smile.

_Or. Or _he wouldn't open the door at all. What if I misjudged his absence at the dance after all? Maybe I wasn't even in the right building. He could be in the library or at the football field for all I knew. _Maybe_ he was completely mocking me when he said he'd be waiting for me tonight. Perhaps it was some cruel joke to get me riled up.

In that case, I could just walk away. Edward was pretty conceited after all, so if he thought I would fall for his charms, I could leave right now and show him I wasn't convinced.

_Hypocrite_, I thought irritably.

One moment he says, "Stay away," and the next he's luring me into his cave.

Just knock on the damn door!

Would I be okay if it really was some cruel joke? No, I admitted to myself.

My thoughts drifted to the conversations we shared, just Edward and I. When Edward wasn't being the whole cocky-jerk-douchebag he sometimes was, talk was easy. Normal. Like our love conversation. I would never forget that.

Gah! I screamed mentally. Knock, dammit!

I took three large steps away from his dorm door, staring at it as if it were Voldemort or something. Then I cautiously crept down the hallway towards the elevator, eyeing it for a few more seconds before turning around and stalking forward.

I was able to breathe a sigh before I heard the door open.

Damn.

"Couldn't resist?" Edward asked in the quiet of the hall.

I froze mid-step, scrunching my eyes together tightly. Please tell me I imagined it.

A musical chuckle followed, and against my wishes, it was definitely real.

"Bella," Edward murmured softly. "Look at me."

I chewed on my lips furiously, refusing to turn around. I could imagine that stupid smirk. My stomach had a sick feeling that said, "Ah. Crap."

When I didn't move, Edward spoke again, his silky voice louder and imploring.

"Bella, please?"

This time, I turned around, and then stifled a gasp.

Adonis. God, he was gorgeous. _Striking. _He wore a white button-up shirt with a black vest over it, as well as slacks and shiny black shoes. Three buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing the top portion of his chest. The white sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. His hair was the same – in a disarray – and I absolutely loved it.

Edward seemed to have the same reaction as me. His eyes raked up and down my body for a moment, his green eyes smoldering. Now, that was _definitely _intensity. Take that, Tanya.

Edward trailed his eyes back to my face, and they were still intense. Deep. Depthless.

"I…" I began, trying to find my voice and dignity, "resisted?" I ended it in a question, my thoughts swirling incoherently around my brain as I drank in the sight of him.

Once I gained my senses, I forcefully glared at him, my voice determined. "I was on my way out, in case you hadn't noticed," I snapped.

Edward laughed quietly, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Humor me, Bella," he murmured. "Everyone is at the dance, everyone but me and you" – he thought for a moment, frowning – "…and probably Tanya. But that's beside the point," he said a second later. He smiled at me. "Think logically, Bella. You don't have much business up here except for me."

I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off.

"I saw you standing outside my door through the peephole."

I blushed fifty shades of red, trying to regain my composure.

"Your imagination has caused you to become mental," I snapped, although both my face and tone didn't believe that.

Edward knew it. "You came up here for a reason," he said, his voice immediately becoming seductive and alluring. He smiled, and it wasn't arrogant or anything, merely emphatic. "Come?" He gestured at the doorway to his dorm.

I didn't budge.

"You're already up here," he reasoned.

I bit my lip again, and Edward just stood there, looking like the perfect Greek god.

I blushed, averting my gaze from his as I took a couple more steps towards him. Just when I was about to step into his room, Edward put a hand on my bare shoulder. I felt a jolt of electricity and looked up at him, confused.

Before I could say anything, Edward stepped into his room and spun around to stare at me, his lips twitching in an effort to hide his smile.

"What?" I asked cautiously, looking down at myself to make sure I didn't forget anything.

"I'm afraid you'll have to take off your shoes."

I stared at him blankly. That was the last thing I expected to hear. His eyes were laughing at me, swimming in utter amusement. He was doing this to annoy me. Jerk.

I looked down at his feet, which were sporting the shiny black shoes.

"But _you're –"_

"_I'm,_" he interrupted, grinning widely now, "Edward Cullen. This is my room."

I wasn't sure whether to laugh, oblige, or walk away.

"U-umm…."

Edward arched his eyebrows. "I'm sure those shoes are killing you."

"No."

"Humor me."

I chewed on my lip, and then bent down, fumbling with the blue straps, acutely aware of his eyes on me. When I was finally able to remove the pair, I picked them up and held them in the air for him to see.

"You know," I said, handing him the shoes while I stepped passed him. "I liked it better when we were in biology. You kept your mouth shut."

I was faintly aware of the fact that he chuckled, and I knew that this wasn't my first time in his dorm room, but really, I didn't exactly notice the details last time I was here. Actually, I was too busy fuming at the time.

It was like a music studio. What was up with these Cullens? Alice with a fashion studio, Edward with a music studio – okay, music studio was exaggerating, but he was all music.

To my right was his mini kitchen with a mini-countertop and all that, though it looked barely used. My gaze moved left, to the wall facing the doorway. The wall was entirely covered in CDs, as well as an enormous stereo system. Beside it lay a wooden book case – paperback, hardcover, you name it. The farthest to my left was his full-size bed, with gold comforters and plush pillows. A small door led to a bathroom. Basically, he had everything besides a bathroom in one huge room. It was also messier than the last time I'd come, with clothing randomly strewn across the floor. But that was normal, and at least he wasn't freakishly clean.

"Wow," I muttered, trailing my eyes back to his music.

Edward only chuckled as I headed straight for his stereo system. For all that's holy, he had everything. Pop to classical, classical to rock, rock to dance, dance to indie. All the genres I could name, and probably more.

"How is this arranged?" I asked, gazing at the shelf where the CDs were fit perfectly and neatly. I could tell he cared a lot for his music.

"Alphabetical by artist," he said softly.

I turned around to find that he was leaning against the wall beside the doorway, his arms crossed across his chest and a small smile tugging at his lips. His eyes were smoldering again, watching me with amusement.

He really did have everything, not to mention two guitars – one acoustic and one electric. I kneeled down onto the floor, careful of my dress, and stared at the acoustic. I didn't dare touch it though, because it looked so brand new that I was afraid to even get a fingerprint on it. Me and string instruments never went well together.

"Can you play?" I asked him.

I could almost hear the smile in his voice. "Only a little," Edward responded. I could tell he was being modest, for once. "You?"

I shrugged. "Only if you're willing to buy a new one." Edward laughed musically, and I followed his laughter with my own. "How long have you been playing?"

"Since I moved in with Carlisle and Esme," he said warily. I could almost imagine a brick wall being formed again. "Carlisle used to play guitar, but as work got in the way, they sort of abandoned it in the garage."

"Until you found it," I said as Edward smiled and nodded. "Did Carlisle teach you?"

He shook his head. "I taught myself."

I nodded, glad for this little piece of information as I crawled over to his CD player, which sat on top of one of the speakers. I popped it open and noticed a Debussy CD sitting in it. He watched me in silence.

"You know," I said, closing the player and walking towards the bookshelf. "You don't seem like the type of person who would listen to classical music."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Edward didn't sound offended, merely curious.

I shrugged. "I suppose not." Edward wasn't only musical. He was a book nerd too. He had all the classics, _Wuthering Heights, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet._ He even had Harry Potter, all of his books arranged neatly and precisely on the shelves. "You don't seem like a book freak either."

"Are you implying that I'm stupid?"

A corner of my lips turned up as I pulled _Wuthering Heights _off of the shelf.

Flipping through his neat, intact copy, I said, "So what if I am?"

I heard him chuckle, several footsteps, and suddenly, he was right behind me. "Then I'm offended," he murmured into my ear. I jumped, the book falling out of my hands, my knees suddenly feeling like mush.

Edward chuckled again while I picked up the book and stuffed it back onto the shelf.

"_Wuthering Heights?_" he asked, sounding disgusted.

"Yep. I like it."

"It's horrific."

"Nuh uh," I retorted childishly, turning around to face him. I poked him hard in the chest, probably injuring my finger. He had muscles. "It depicts the complexity of love."

Edward raised an eyebrow at me. "Love is always complex. Doesn't mean I agree with the events that happen in the story."

I narrowed my eyes at him, and then huffed heatedly. "Regardless, its not horrific." I childishly stuck my tongue out at him before looking back at the rest of his books.

He laughed behind me, and I spun around again, highly agitated.

"What's so funny?" I snapped.

He bit his lip, attempting to hide a smile, but his eyes were dancing in obvious amusement. "Nothing."

"Bull," I retorted.

He chuckled again, running a pale hand through his hair, making it even messier than before.

"It's just that…" He paused, and I waited, "You look cute when you're mad."

Edward Cullen was full of surprises tonight. I blushed and faced my back to him. "Oh, well, u-umm…th-thanks…" I stammered, trying to occupy my hands by fumbling with the CD player beside me.

Edward reached over me and pulled the Debussy CD out of the player before putting it into the stereo system. A few seconds later, the soft, peaceful melody of Clair de Lune poured through the speakers.

I arched an eyebrow at him in amusement while he sat down on the floor beside the couch. "Clair de Lune?"

Edward gave me his crooked grin for the first time tonight. "You like it, hm?"

I nodded, my feet carrying me over to him. "Charlie, my dad, used to say that this was my mom's favorite piano piece ever."

"It's soothing," Edward agreed.

We sort of sat there, in the awkwardness of the room, while Clair de Lune continued to play peacefully. I had the urge to take his hand and spin us around, but knowing me and my clumsiness, I would somehow manage to twirl us both out the window.

We sat silently next to each other, just listening to the soft notes of the piano piece until the very end.

"So," I said nervously once the song transitioned to another one. "You play guitar?" I internally smacked my forehead for my lame attempt at a conversation.

He smiled gently, as if embarrassed, and reached for the instrument.

"Sure," he answered without looking at me.

It was silent for a moment while he strummed with a little blue guitar pick.

I cleared my throat uncomfortably, and then sighed in defeat, glaring at the ceiling. "Just say it."

He looked up from his guitar, startled and perplexed. "Say what?"

"You know," I said, gesturing with my hands. "Say it."

"Bella, what are you talking about?" Edward asked slowly, his strumming having come to a halt.

"Just tell me you were right," I muttered, suddenly interested in the hands on my lap. "Say 'I told you so' or something."

"I…told you so?" he said, ending it more like a question.

I shook my head. "Mean it. About the whole Jacob/Mike scheme blowing up in my face."

"First of all," he said, "I only warned you about Jacob, whom I'm very proud to say you didn't go to the dance with." Edward ruffled my hair playfully. "Secondly" – his green eyes became dark – "What's this about Newton?"

"Mike took me to the dance."

Edward's eyes became murderous. "He did _what?!"_ he yelped. Edward's gaze moved down to my wrist, where the corsage still rested, and sighed. "Damn."

"If it makes you feel any better," I said timidly, "He's with Tanya."

Edward looked at me wearily. "Did Tanya do anything to you?"

"Besides stealing my date, nope," I said matter-of-factly. I giggled and added, "I don't mind, though. I just feel really bad for Mike."

"Marvelous," Edward said sarcastically, once again resuming his strumming. "Newton and Dachelet. What a hot couple."

I laughed at his sadistic tone. "You hate them both?"

Edward rolled his eyes at me. "Tanya is damn annoying, and Newton is just irritating. There isn't a day where I _don't_ want to rip his head off in biology…"

I wasn't listening. My eyes were on the bookshelf, the bottom shelf to be exact, where a notebook sat on top of all the other neatly arranged books. Without even thinking, I pulled it out while Edward was speaking.

"…an insolent fool, and the way he stares at girls reminds me of J – Isabella Marie Swan!"

He reached for the notebook, but I jumped off the floor and dashed over to his black leather couch. Edward was right behind me, looking very pissed off, but at the same time amused as I scrambled onto his expensive-looking leather couch. He reached for my arm, but I ducked underneath it and headed straight for his bed, glad that he'd made me take off my shoes. I was only a step away from his golden comforters when I felt an arm snake around my waist, pulling me back towards my captor.

"Hey!" Edward yelled when I smacked him with one of his golden pillows. "That's incredibly _rude_."

He tried to sound serious, but even _I_ could tell he was laughing.

We wrestled for a moment, but I was too busy laughing to even try fighting him off. And the final position we ended up in would make Charlie turn purple.

Edward was straddling my waist, holding one arm above my head and grabbing onto my left wrist (the one that held his notebook) with his other hand.

I would've blushed, but I only giggled smugly, the bed shaking as I laughed. "Musical Compositions," I said, wiggling my eyebrows at him as I referred to the title on the front.

"Hand it back, Bella," he said, narrowing his eyes at me. His grip on me tightened, but it wasn't enough to hurt me.

"Hmm…" I said, pretending to look thoughtful for the sake of annoying him, "I don't know about that…" Payback's a bitch, Cullen.

"I could easily take it out of your hand," Edward said haughtily.

I slowly sat up, keeping my face a mere six inches away from his as he, too, backed up. But his hands were still locked around my wrists, and it was then that I felt the sparks buzzing.

I gave him my cockiest smile. "But you won't."

"And you know that because?" he asked, moving one of his hands closer to my own hand. I felt a jolt of electricity, and both Edward and I darted our eyes to the skin-to-skin connection.

"It's very…personal," Edward murmured, once again locking my gaze with his.

"Musical Compositions," I repeated. "Musical notes?"

Edward shook his head and leaned closer to me. "Lyrics."

"So Edward Cullen listens to Debussy, reads Classics, and writes music," I said, raising both eyebrows at him. Then I snickered. "Wimp."

He narrowed his eyes at my teasing tone, and although I wouldn't admit it to him any time soon, I was intrigued. And I liked it. These were parts of his personality and I absolutely loved it – talented, gorgeous, mysterious – there was so much to him. But I wonder…

"Sing for me," I said before I could stop myself. And then I wanted to smack my forehead for even bringing that up, especially when a horrified look crossed his face.

"Over my dead body," he said loudly, shaking his head as he dropped both of our hands to our laps. But he still didn't let go of my wrists, not that I minded.

"Why not?" I said, pouting. "You're probably really good. You're good at everything."

He laughed humorlessly, his eyes still fixed on our hands. "Right."

"No seriously!" I said sincerely, shoving the notebook into his chest and scrambling to get his guitar. I gave that to him, too. "Pretend like you're on America Idol or something."

I wanted him to take my wrists – or hands – again, but he merely kept a distance from me.

Edward shook his head, and then…and then he _blushed._ Not pink, but red. Like me – beet red – and he looked absolutely adorable. I just wanted to kiss him right then and there.

"C'mon, Edward," I pressed, nudging his shoulder for a distraction from his lips. "You're good and you know it."

He shook his head again, looking like an adorable three-year-old boy who was trying to get out of eating his daily vegetables.

"Please?" I said in the best seductive voice I could muster. I looked up at him beneath my lashes, satisfied when his breathing hitched. Alice and Rosalie were seriously rubbing off on me. Since when did I get so…confident?

I dropped my voice to a whisper. "Sing for me."

Edward watched me, his green eyes scrutinizing my expression for a full five minutes. His eyes were depthless, and it seemed as if I was being sucked into space, unable to tear my gaze away from his. Smoldering and green. These were the effects that made me question myself – was it all physical attraction? Edward Cullen teased and mocked and smirked, but at the same time, was interesting and lovable and friendly. The lovable side of him was the one I was falling for, and the teasing side was…entertaining.

He was cute too, in the adorable, I-want-to-squeeze-you kind of way.

Edward pursed his lips unhappily, and I suddenly felt guilty for my invasion. My confidence was gone, and old Shy Bella was back.

"But you don't have to if you don't want to," I said quickly, putting a hand up to stop him. He was already pulling the guitar strap over his head.

Edward smiled at me, his cheeks once again the familiar fair pale color, making his emerald green orbs stand out even more. "I want to," he finally said, opening his notebook to the first page, where there was neat, elegant writing. "But stop me, Bella, because I'll go off tune."

Off tune, my butt.

His voice was like an angel's. Being off tune was the last thing I was worried about, and that should've been the last thing he could worry about either. And the whole "only a little" on his guitar playing definitely proved my suspicions - he was being modest when he said that.

Edward started off the song softly, just playing the beginning strums wearily without much enthusiasm. He also watched me during those parts, as if gauging my reaction. And when he started to sing, he avoided my gaze completely, as if embarrassed by his own creations.

Despite his lack of eye contact, I heard his words clearly, and his voice was smooth and silky. I knew he was pretending to read the lyrics, because his eyes stayed on the same area on the page for a whole minute. But Edward was…amazing. I caught a glimpse of his lips every now and then, full and tempting, and then I'd go haywire with my teenage issues.

By the time he was strumming for the second verse, he seemed much more relaxed, and I could tell he was watching me underneath his thick black lashes. It made it hard to breathe just watching him watch me.

And once he got to the second chorus, I was grinning like an idiot, blushing and flushing and all that, feeling proud for some reason. I was proud of Edward, like a mother. But ew. I wasn't his mother – I was his…what was I to him? Friend? My heart dropped at the thought, because deep down I knew I wanted more than that. Nonetheless, I was proud of Edward; he was talented, and his music was incredible.

Edward watched me while he sang softly, smiling at my grin, his green eyes brilliant. The way he was watching me…it didn't make me feel like a friend. He made me feel like I was something more. Something important. My heart beat unsteadily as my thoughts went crazy at the possibilities.

Edward continued to smile as he transitioned to what I assumed was the bridge. His smile widened when I locked eyes with him, and the blood crept to my cheeks as I moved my eyes to his lips. God, I felt like a pervert. But…it was too tempting. I thought of all the times I wanted to feel his lips on mine. Warm? Soft? I wanted to know. I wanted to kiss him, my lips tingling and yearning to touch his.

Suddenly, his singing stopped abruptly. The room was suddenly filled with quiet, except for the fading sound of the guitar. Edward was frozen against me.

Wait.

Something isn't right.

It was quiet for a moment, and then it dawned on me.

_Oh crap._

I opened my eyes and pulled back, blushing more than I ever had in my entire life. Edward was staring at me, his lips slightly parted, his green eyes wide. The hand with the guitar pick merely loosened, dropping the pick onto the bed.

"I…" I started franticly, involuntarily touching my lips, where his had been just a minute ago, "am _so_ sorry." I backed away from him until I was at the edge of the bed, still blushing furiously and still touching my lips. The two seconds of contact was enough to make me want more, and it was only a chaste kiss.

I felt appalled at myself. What was I thinking? Just going and kissing him like that? Oh, God, he probably thought I was some pervert or something. How did I even end up there? A million scenarios ran through my head, and the next thing I knew, I was ranting apology after apology to him. My face still looked like a tomato.

" – totally intrusive and I totally and completely understand if you wanted to keep this relationship merely friends only I don't know what came over me it was like I wasn't even thinking and if you want me to leave I'll do it right now you want me to leave don't you?" I said in a rush, finally taking a breath and moving my gaze to meet his.

Edward was licking his lips, staring at me thoughtfully. But he still didn't say anything as his green orbs bore into mine.

"I'm… I'm sorry," I mumbled, suddenly feeling rejected as I dropped my gaze to the hands in my lap. I was such an idiot to think that _Edward Cullen_ could love me. Hah, he probably didn't even like me. I was just a friend to him, and that was that. Maybe he didn't even consider me a friend. Especially after the stunt I just pulled. _Way to go, Bella._

I bit the inside of my cheek, gnawed on my lip, and crossed my arms, anything to hold myself together. I blew it. Great. "I guess…I'll go," I finally said, too ashamed to even look at him.

"Bella," Edward said instantly, finally snapping out of his statue-like stature as he pulled off his guitar and set it next to him. He sounded strangely calm, his voice still as silky and musical as ever. "Look at me," he implored.

It was like déjà vu.

Except this time, I obliged the first time, devoid of hesitation.

And Edward didn't hesitate either. The moment we locked gazes, his lips crashed onto mine, eager and fervent. I responded with the same amount of urgency, enjoying the warmth of his lips. His right hand danced up my arm, across my bare shoulder, and made its way around the back of my neck. His thumb gently caressed the side of it, rubbing soothing, tender circles.

My hands remained limp in my lap, because honestly, I didn't know what to do. I had no experience; Rosalie usually got all the boys. What was even more embarrassing was this kiss – the one between Edward and I – was my first. And I was happy for that.

But I didn't need to think. My hands had their own mind as they found their way up his neck and into his soft, auburn hair. I smiled against his warm, soft lips as he gently lifted me onto his lap, still not breaking the kiss. The hand on my neck raised higher, tangling itself in my hair. I pressed my lips more firmly against his, gently running my fingers through his hair. I didn't mind, really, but I was beginning to pant. And I was losing air. Edward seemed to be fine, but unlike him, I was no expert and kissing wasn't exactly my prowess.

As if he'd read my mind, Edward gradually made the kiss slower, gentler, until he was barely grazing my lips with his. I could feel his warm breath on my face, uneven and ragged. The arm around my waist tightened, pressing me closer to his warm body, and my hands fell from his hair, slowly sliding down his neck to rest lightly against his chest. I pressed my hand over where I knew his heart was, smiling breathlessly when I felt the unsteady _thump-thump_ it made.

I opened my eyes to find Edward's eyes already open. He stared at me for a moment before tucking a lock of hair behind my ear and closing his eyes. Then he leaned his forehead against mine, both of us trying to steady our breathing.

"You…" he started, once again unveiling the green orbs, "have_ no_ idea how long I've wanted to do that."

--  
**aww. squeals again. i totallyy hope you liked that chapppyy. :) i was going to add a lot more, but i didnt want to rush their relationship, so all the voting and the whole snapping back tor eality will occur in the next chapter. and everything after this chapter will be pretty important i think xD**

**NOTE: the song Edward sang to her was Up&Up (Acoustic) by Relient K. check it out. i was hooked to it for a while, and btw, edward only did the guitar parts of the song. theres piano, but he only did the guitar. i like featuring songs in my stories xD  
**

**and aww. fluff. I went into detail for the kiss because its her first, so i thought we should treasure it for her. lol. ive never kissed anyone though, this is based solely on Stephenie Meyer + fanfiction general stuffs. i probably wont include much detail for any other kisses, and i probably wont have edward...you know...straddle her waist anymore. lol. its all in the fluffy dearies! :D  
**

**aww yes. fluff. i love writing it, and i love reading it too. xD**

**drop a review please :)**


	19. Only if You Want To

**pure. freakin. fluff. sorry if there are random moments with silence. i was ltierally dying to update cuz i feel so tired.**

**thanks adrienne for helping me revise this chappyy :)**

**btw, imma post a new story soon. once i get the title done. and some more stuff done for it too. so keep and eye out fans. thanks sooo much for your support guys :)  
**

**review!**

--

**CHAPTER 18 – Only if You Want To  
**

"When I was eight, I accidentally swallowed a watermelon seed – you know, those black-colored ones. I had a nervous breakdown because I was so scared I was going to die. Rose told me that I wasn't going to die, but rather…a watermelon would grow in my stomach. And I believed her."

I opened my eyes cautiously, and Edward was biting his bottom lip, the corners of his lips twitching in an effort to hide a smile.

"What?" I asked weakly, childishly crossing my arms. "I was in third grade. And I had a huge fear of seeds!"

Edward cracked, his face breaking into a breathtaking smile. He laughed and pulled me closer to his chest, gently stroking my strands of hair. "You must have been adorable."

I blushed. "Nah. Not unless you call chubby fingers and messy hair attractive."

"I have messy hair," Edward challenged, arching his eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes. "But you look good with messy hair," I admitted matter-of-factly.

"Actually, it's about as stubborn as I am."

I snickered, and Edward continued to stroke my hair. I cuddled closer to his warm chest, smiling contently when his arms tightened around me. It felt nice, not in the disgusting kind of way – more like home. I felt safe in his arms.

"Edward?"

"Yes, Bella?" he murmured.

"When did you write that song?"

He chuckled. "The night after you stormed into my room while Emmett was over." My brow furrowed as I recalled the day. Mmm…Emmett held me hostage. Got it.

I buried my face in his neck, enjoying the sweet scent of him. He didn't smell like cologne – that was for sure. But he smelled good. Whatever it was that made him smell good, smelled good. Obviously.

"I don't know," Edward nervously said. "I was sitting around, strumming, and then suddenly I was writing down lyrics."

I looked up at him, my face close enough to feel his warm breath.

"I…" I started shyly, "I like it. The song is…awesome," I lamely finished.

His face broke into a heartwarming smile. "Really?"

I nodded wholeheartedly, taking his free hand into both of mine and playing with the long, slender fingers. "You… You should be a musician someday."  
Edward gently kissed my knuckles. "I want to be a musician," he concurred thoughtfully. "But it's such a risky career to pursue."

"Nuh uh," I said, shaking my head. "You've got talent, I think you can do it."

A corner of his lips turned upward. "Faith?"

"Faith."

He laughed. "I wrote it with you in mind."

I blushed. "You didn't."

"No, I surely did," he said, grinning.

I glared at him, although highly flattered deep down, and he only smiled innocently, rubbing gently circles on my waist. I replayed the lyrics in my head, smiling contently.

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, and then Edward said, "Bella, are you wearing shorts underneath your dress?" He curiously fingered the waistband of my shorts through the fabric of my dress.

"Yep."

Edward snorted, his chest shaking with laughter.

"What?" I said defensively. "I needed someplace to put my room key, and knowing me, I'd probably lose my clutch if I dared to put it in there."

He only laughed harder.

Five minutes later, when Edward's laughter finally calmed subsided, he glanced at the watch on his wrist and smiled. "We should get down to the dance in five minutes."

"What? Why?" I asked, pouting.

Edward chuckled and pressed his lips against mine, kissing away my pout. "Because, silly Bella, they're going to announce the King and Queen. Don't you want to support your sister?"

Oh crap. I didn't submit a vote for her. But then again, I didn't submit one for Lauren either. I inwardly snorted at the thought – voting for Lauren? I might as well go commit suicide.

"Um. Yeah," I responded weakly, followed by a sigh.

Edward scrutinized my expression for a moment. "You don't want to go, do you?"

I bit my lip and shook my head. I knew that wasn't very supportive of me, and it was probably pretty low, but I was so comfortable here with him, and it was nice and peaceful in his dorm room. The dance itself was loud and only for people like Alice who were energetic partygoers.

Edward smiled. "Me neither."

"Oh?"

"Yep."

"In that case, we could just stay here." I stared at him thoughtfully.

"We could, couldn't we?"

"Yes, we can."

Edward laughed at my pouty, pretty-please expression and nodded wholeheartedly.

"We can, and we will," he declared loudly, causing me to burst into a huge fit of giggles.

Edward laughed again and pulled me closer to his chest. I responded by resting my head against his shoulder, sighing contently.

"Now that we've settled that fact," Edward began, still chuckling, "I have something to give you."

I opened my mouth to protest, but he put a slender finger over my lips.

"Nope," he scolded playfully, reaching over me towards his bedside table. He opened the top drawer and pulled out a carefully wrapped box.

I instantly felt guilty – I hadn't gotten Edward anything for Christmas. I mean, it wasn't like I was expecting us to kiss or anything…

He handed the box to me, a small smile playing at his lips.

I stared at him for a moment before gingerly taking the box into my hands, holding it delicately, as though it would crumble to pieces if I held it too tight. I swallowed the guilty lump stuck in my throat, looking up at him with a frantic expression.

"You really didn't have to –"

"Hush," he cooed softly, gently running his fingers through my hair again, "Open it, Bella."

The way my name rolled off his tongue smoothly made my insides squeal in delight. I broke into a smile at the thought as I carefully tore off the paper. Then I gulped. Jewelry.

I had no problem with jewelry. In fact, I was wearing some earrings. But I bought them on my own. Well, technically with Charlie's money, but that's irrelevant. In addition, the earrings I wore were fake, and not 14K gold like the bracelet Edward gave me.

A small, golden heart dangled along the chain of the charm bracelet, all of it 14K gold. Just by looking at it, I felt another wave of guilt. It was so _bright._ And sparkly.

…And expensive.

I was fully aware of the fact that Edward was scrutinizing my every move, pending my reaction. Plastering a cheery smile just for him, I pulled it out of the box.

"It's beautiful, Edward," I said sincerely. At least that part was true. "I love it."

Edward looked at me for a moment, pursing his lips suspiciously. I put on my best poker face, but Rosalie once told me to never be an actress, whether I had lines or not.

He sighed a moment later, taking the bracelet out of my hand and examining it closely.

"You don't want it," he said warily.

My eyes widened, and I quickly tried to explain. "No! I-I mean yes, of course I want it, Edward. I –"

"You don't," he interrupted calmly, fingering the gold heart absentmindedly.

I bit my lip uncomfortably, feeling his stare bore into the side of my face. "Alright," I mumbled, defeated. "I don't want it."

I swallowed nervously and turned to look at him, expecting some accusing, unhappy glare that told me, "Get the hell out" or something. But Edward was only smiling softly, once again staring at the item of jewelry curiously. Probably for lack of anything better to do.

"You don't have to answer," he said, darting his gaze up to meet mine, "but why?"

I hesitated before answering. "It's just that it's so..._expensive_, and I really don't think I deserve it. Knowing me, I'd accidentally lose it or something." There. Short and sweet.

Edward chuckled. "I suppose it _is_ quite pricey." Then he sighed. "It belonged to my mother. She had a huge collection of jewelry from Tiffany's, and when I lost her, I kept all of her valuables."

I nodded, feeling a pang of sympathy for him. But I didn't let it show on my face. I wanted to ask him about his mother and father, but I didn't want to push him too far. Not now.

"I don't understand you, Isabella," Edward said suddenly. I swooned at his usage of my full name. "Everyone that attends CPBS is rolling in money. They spend hours finding designer clothing and have sixty-eight thousand shirts from Dolce & Gabbana. But why not you?"

"I wear Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch," I said bluntly.

"Everyday?"

"I only have four shirts."

"Exactly," Edward said, smirking. He delicately took my right hand into his and unclasped the bracelet. "You don't have a bajillion expensive things like Rosalie or Lauren. Where do you usually shop?"

Oh, for the love of golden wasps and purple candy canes – was I seriously talking about _shopping_ with Edward Cullen?

"Err…Forever 21…" I admitted.

Edward nodded, looking amused as he clasped the bracelet onto my pale wrist. His green eyes moved up to meet mine. We stared at each other for the longest moment, and I felt like I was being sucked into space just staring into his emerald green orbs.

"I want you to have it," he finally said, tearing away his gaze.

I stared at him, dazed and dreamy, as he tenderly brushed his lips against the skin of my wrist, his eyes closed and the most peaceful expression lurking on his face. He lowered our hands and looked up at me.

"Will you?" He arched an eyebrow.

I was completely disoriented. "Whahuh?"

Edward coughed to hide his laugh. "Will you keep the bracelet, Bella?"

"Sure," I responded blankly, barely hearing his question. Heck, I'd do anything Edward told me to do.

When he leaned slightly closer, I finally snapped out of my languor and focused my sight on his flawless face, making my observations like I did during biology. Pale, fair skin, well-defined cheekbones, angular nose, square jaw, full lips, and finally, his depthless green eyes.

Edward smiled at me and ducked his lips to my jaw, gently dragging them along it. His other hand went to the other side of my neck, feeling the raging pulse there.

He made three quick rounds just along the area before chuckling.

"I'm sorry," he murmured apologetically, moving back up to look at me again. "I'm making you uncomfortable, aren't I?"

I couldn't answer. The room suddenly seemed so blurry and stuffy at the same time.

Edward gently grabbed both sides of my face with his hands. "Breathe, Bella," he said sternly, staring directly into my eyes. I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

"Sorry," I mumbled, embarrassed.

Edward laughed musically, and I smiled at him. He'd laughed so much tonight.

I rested my head on his shoulder again.

"Bella," he began anxiously.

"Hmm."

"You look kinda pretty tonight," he said quietly.

I moved my head so I was eye level with him and raised an eyebrow.

"Kinda?" Déjà vu.

He chuckled. "Really pretty," he teased while I rolled my eyes. "No seriously Bella," he murmured solemnly, caressing my cheek, "You look beautiful."

I blushed and muttered a nearly incoherent "thanks."

Edward sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't say it sooner," he admitted. "I really have been thinking about it all night."

I smiled at him. He could've said it sixty-five years from now and I'd still be beyond excited.

"And _I'm_ sorry," I started cautiously, "that I didn't get you anything for Christmas." The bracelet on my wrist abruptly seemed to weigh fifty pounds.

He shook his head, smiling warmly at me. "It's alright, Bella. You gave me you, and that's enough," Edward murmured.

"But I feel like I should have gotten –"

"Don't worry about it," he reassured me, kissing the top of my head.

I opened my mouth to protest, but he just shook his head and gave me a look that said, "Don't you dare."

We lay in silence again, and I suddenly felt something vibrate by my leg. Edward rolled his eyes and pulled out his cell phone.

"Rosalie won for Queen," Edward informed me, staring at the screen. "And Jacob won for King. Emmett just texted me. I'm guessing he was caught up with Rosalie after the announcement," Edward said, laughing at his joke about the couple.

"I wonder how it turned out. With Jacob and Rose winning and all," I said, getting this wild vision of Lauren turning into a werewolf with huge fangs and launching herself at Rosalie. Laughing at my imagination, I said, "Rose will probably give me the inside scoop tomorrow."

"It _is_ tomorrow," Edward said, chuckling, "and that's only if she lives through Lauren's wrath."

I nodded, both of us laughing quietly.

Sighing, I buried my face in the crook of his neck again, resting my hands lightly on his chest. We lay like that for what seemed like hours, and I was so comfortable that I could have easily dozed off to sleep. Edward's steady breathing was strangely like the ticking of a clock, it had a steady, comforting tempo. His heartbeat was just as calm and relaxing.

After a while, Edward murmured softly, "Are you asleep?"

I lifted my head and stared at him tiredly. I was aware that there was a clock on the nightstand beside his bed, but was too lazy to lean over and check. "What time is it?"

Edward sighed. "1:30 in the morning."

I dropped my head onto his chest. "Fantastic. Am I spending the night?" I asked bluntly.

Edward hesitated before answering. "Only if you want to, Bella."

I looked up at him again, immediately uncomfortable. It wasn't that I didn't trust Edward, because believe me, I trusted him. But I was so inexperienced. It was only the first stage of the relationship, and we were already sleeping together? Gah. It didn't seem...right. I could just imagine Charlie's face if I were to tell him that I slept with Edward the night we first kissed.

Edward caught my uneasy expression and smiled empathetically. "I can walk you back to your room, Bella."

Then I thought of spending the night in my dorm room. Alone. _Again. _

I bit my lip. What would Rosalie do? I inwardly shook my head at the ridiculous question.

Hmm. What here was ethical? "Okay."

Edward smiled and set me down on the floor of his room. Out of nowhere, he handed me my shoes, and I gave him his own look in return, the one that said, "Don't you dare."

Edward rolled his eyes at me. "Fine. I'll carry you."

I paled. "Hand me the shoes," I instantly requested.

"What, you don't trust me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I won't drop you."

"Gimme the shoes," I demanded.

"I'm very physically fit."

"Shoes."

"My biceps are really, really defined, wanna see?"

I narrowed my eyes at his teasing expression, and sighed. "Fine. Lift me up," I said, laughing.

Edward smiled smugly.

-------o-------

"Well," Edward said awkwardly, standing outside my dorm door. He scratched the side of his head. "I guess…I guess it's goodbye. For now."

I stood in the doorway, looking anywhere but at him.

"'Kay," I said, biting my lip guiltily.

I felt a warm finger lift my chin up, and we locked gazes. Edward smiled warmly at me and leaned down, gently pressing his lips to mine in a chaste kiss. His lips lingered on mine for a moment before he pulled back, affectionately stroking my cheek.

"Thanks for walking me back," I said softly. "And thanks for not letting me spend another Saturday night alone."

Edward chuckled. "You're welcome, Bella," he replied. "Sleep well, alright?"

I nodded.

He dropped his hand from my cheek and stuck his hands in his pockets, walking down the dimly lit hallway. Honestly, we weren't even allowed to be up right now. Or even out of our dorm rooms. But a lot of people broke rules at this school, so it barely mattered.

I watched his disappearing figure for a moment, still standing in the doorway chewing on my lip.

"Edward?" I said quietly, part of me hoping that maybe he wouldn't hear me.

He did.

"Yes, Bella?" he asked, turning around. He didn't approach me, though.

"Would you…" I said, dropping my gaze to the floor and blushing furiously. "Do you want to spend the night with me?"

A gorgeous smile split his face, but Edward, being the gentleman that he is, quickly said, "Only if it's alright with you, Bella."

"Of course it is," I said confidently, backing out of the way as he entered the small living room. It was still a mess with Rosalie's applications and whatnot, but it wasn't as bad as before.

I slipped my small hand into his large one, marveling at how our hands fit so perfectly together, and led him to my bedroom. It was fairly simple, of course, with a full-sized bed and bedside table, a small desk, a closet, and the adjoining bathroom. Some of my clothes were scattered around, my backpack sitting in the corner; it wasn't clean, but it was decent. Sort of.

Blushing furiously, I went into my closet and pulled out my PJ's.

"U-umm…" I said nervously as Edward looked around, drinking in the sight of my bedroom. "I'm sorry…I-I don't have any clothes for you…"

Edward smiled at me. "It's fine, Bella."

I blushed to an even darker shade of crimson and rushed into the bathroom, ramming my shoulder into the doorway in the process.

"Agh dammit! Ouch!" I cursed as Edward hurried over to me, examining my body to make sure there wasn't any severe damage. Laughing, I tapped the top of his head like I would to a dog. "Thanks, but I think I'm okay."

After shutting the door, I changed into my pink pajama pants, decorated with little cute pandas here and there, and then a baggy white t-shirt. Nothing too flashy. I never showed-off anything, and I wasn't going to show-off in front of Edward. After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I took out my contacts and stared at my reflection. I was so ugly compared to Edward.

I cautiously opened the door of my bathroom to find Edward lying on his back on my bed in his white shirt and pants. His vest and tie were sitting idly on the desk chair, and when I entered, he looked in my direction and grinned crookedly.

"You look adorable," Edward mused, causing me to blush again. Then his eyes locked with mine. "You have brown eyes?" he asked curiously.

I grimaced – here it comes. The one moment where Edward's going to realize that I'm so ordinary and ugly, that Tanya would have been the better choice in the end.

"I like it," he whispered, gazing into them. I could feel the electricity radiating from him just standing at the entrance to the bathroom. "I mean, I like them. Your eyes are beautiful, Bella."

I turned another fifty shades of red and shut the door of the bathroom, enveloping us in total darkness, with the expectation of the night light.

"Thanks," I mumbled as I wearily found my way to the bed and crawled onto it, snuggling into his chest. He pulled the covers over us and stroked my hair gently.

"I'm sorry, am I moving too fast?" I asked him, involuntarily snuggling closer to his warm body. "I feel like we're going too fast."

Edward's arms tightened around me, and I breathed in his sweet scent. "I guess we are," he admitted, causing me to nod in concurrence. "But it feels right."

I nodded again, wholeheartedly agreeing with him.

Edward chuckled. "Good night, Bella," he murmured softly.

"'Night, Edward," I replied, yawning. I could almost imagine him grinning as I dozed off.

"Merry Christmas, Bella."

--  
**well. christmas in spring. haha thats okay right? i mean? no? well,too bad. xD kidding lol.**

**umm sorry she didnt spend the night at edwards, but ended up spending it at her own dorm with him. which i think is better, cuz i think that the idea of her wearing his clothes should be later on, you know? i thought it would be like moving WAY too fast. ahh well. long time since ive written fluff, and i totallyy love it. i hope yoiu guys liked it :D haha. jacob and rosalie. i mean, at least they're friends, right? xD poor lauren.  
**

**this chapter covered an important theme for the story, which was the whole idea of money, which was in the convo shared between b and e. also...i wanted to title this chapter sooo many different things cuz it covered a lot of random sstuff, so yeah. anywya, i really hope you liked it. i suspect drama in the next chapter. :)**

**thanks again adri. and thanks _so much_ to you guys! ive gotten 300 reviews thanks to yall. **hugs :D  
**

**drop a review please :D**


	20. Your Lovely Recaps and Explanations

**hey guys. my goal is to finish this story in the next two weeks, so expect quick updates. however, my monitor died. so i had to use my sisters comp. xD which has a crappy keyboard. lol anyway. likelast chapter, this chap covers a lot of random stuff that is slightly crucial to the story. especially one very important mystery - dan. nice guesses, people. i'm sure some of you will be proud at your guess ;)**

**long chap, so hope you like.**

**review :D**

--

**CHAPTER 19 – Your Lovely Recaps, Loyalties, and Explanations **

Last night, I had the most amazing dream. Edward Cullen kissed me. He'd even written a beautiful song for me, and sang it to me. His voice was velvety and smooth. I told him about Rosalie, and he listened contently like a boyfriend would. Then he spent the night at my dorm.

Such a fantastic dream.

I involuntarily smiled and turned onto my back. I'd slept flawlessly last night – no intervals or anything. I was warm, too. I flipped onto my side and snuggled closer to whatever the warm thing was, inhaling the sweet scent of it. _Pretend like it's Edward, laying in your bed,_ I told myself. I snuggled closer to it, enjoying the steady rising and falling of its chest.

Whatever "it" was, it was super warm and comfortable. I was too tired to shove against it when it pulled me closer to its body.

I was half-asleep when I heard the door of the dorm open, muffled voices filling the otherwise silent room. Then a weird sound, like something dropping onto the floor.

"Shh, Em, Bella's asleep for God's sake!" I heard Rosalie mutter.

There was a hushed "sorry, babe," and then the shutting of a door.

I snuggled closer to the body, once again swimming in its sweet smell.

"Em, wait one sec, I need to check on my sister," Rosalie murmured, just outside my bedroom door. "I hope she slept well last night."

The door opened, and –

"AAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I shot out of bed, stumbling across the floor and landing flat on my face, four feet away from it. My heart thudded unevenly against my chest as Emmett appeared at the door with my _Wuthering Heights _book, using it as some sort of weapon.

We all screamed at the same time.

"Rose, what is it, baby? I got – "

"He's got my sister! Oh my God, Emmett! He did my sister d –"

"What the hell is going on? Rose, what on Earth are you –"

"Emmett McCarty! You scared the hell out of Bella!"

It was silent while all four of us looked at each other, breathing heavily.

Edward's arms slipped around my waist, his glare fixed on Emmett.

"Put the book down, Emmett," Rosalie said calmly as Emmett obliged. Rosalie looked at me, and then her eyes moved up to Edward. They seemed to share some sort of silent conversation, which resulted in Rosalie laughing.

"All clear," she said, rolling her eyes and straightening out her shirt. "Sorry, Eddie. I had the impression that you raped Bella."

Edward chuckled and kissed the top of my head. "Thanks, Rosey. Thanks a lot."

I looked at the both of them, curiously darting my eyes back and forth between the two people. I wondered when the heck they got so close. But Edward and Rosalie seemed completely at ease with each other, and Emmett had begun to laugh.

"Sorry about the wake up call," Rosalie apologized, looking at me. "You guys looked quite comfortable. But if you don't want Alice to find out, Edward" – she looked up at him – "you should leave soon."

Edward nodded, but I shook my head. "What? Why are you leaving?"

"Alice would have his head," Emmett informed me, reappearing with a bottle of water. "She's not a big fan of Eddiekins here, as you can see."

Edward narrowed his eyes at Emmett, but otherwise smiled down at me.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he said regretfully. "Alice doesn't trust me with you."

"Okay," I reluctantly agreed. "Will I see you soon?"

"Relax, Bells, he's not going to China," Emmett said, and Rosalie smacked the back of his head. She grabbed his hand, and the both of them exited the room, giving me and Edward privacy.

Edward smiled and caressed my cheek with his thumb. "Don't worry, we'll see each other soon. It's Christmas, so people get to be with people they want to be with," he said matter-of-factly. He gently kissed me again, and then pulled away just as I was about to deepen it. "Merry Christmas, Bella," he murmured, exiting my bedroom.

And just like that, I felt empty.

-------o-------

"Gorgeous," Rosalie mused quietly, admiring the bracelet while I scurried around the room looking for clothes to wear. "14K. That asshole finally did something right."

I glared at her for calling Edward that, but she shrugged. "You called him that too, you know."

I pursed my lips, pulling on a v-neck long sleeve and some black skinny jeans. "Irrelevant."

Rosalie chuckled and examined the piece of jewelry again. "It really is stunning," she sighed dreamily. "I wish Emmett got me jewelry. Instead, he gave me a freaking teddy bear that says "I love you" across the front, along with the best sex of my entire life."

"Oh, gross!" I shouted, covering my ears up. "Dammit, Rose, I've been scarred."

"Ah, chica, the damage has been done," Rosalie said, smirking as she put the bracelet onto my bedside table.

Rolling my eyes, I changed the subject. "I wonder what Jasper did for Alice," I mused, brushing my hair absentmindedly.

"Probably something sickeningly sweet that makes you want to squeal and vomit at the same time. And speaking of those lovers, Alice is impatient to get the gifts open."

"Sure," I answered, putting down the brush and turning to look at her. "Let's go."

Alice was in the living room, glowing with excitement as she ran around the small Christmas tree she'd purchased two weeks before Christmas. The tree was very tiny, because the school didn't want huge trees being lugged into the dormitories. Too much work or something.

Nonetheless, there were various presents distributed all around it, in all shapes, sizes, and colors. People here really were rich.

"Merry Christmas, Bella, Rose!" Alice sang jubilantly.

"Likewise, Ali," I replied as Rosalie wished her a "Merry Christmas" too.

"Let's open them," I suggested, reaching randomly for a red, neatly wrapped box. "Here, Ali."

We spent the entire morning laughing and joking as we opened our gifts, "oohing" and "aahhing" when necessary. Rosalie by far received the most gifts of the three of us, but I was perfectly content with my pile of presents. Mike gave me a cute purple graphic tee from Wet Seal, and Angela gave me a nice Gucci bag. Alice also gave me a bag – from Juicy Couture – and a fifty dollar gift card to Forever 21. From Rosalie, I received a huge mani/pedi set and a Sephora make-up set, along with a new copy of _Wuthering Heights._

Jackie had even gotten each of us gifts, which I found very touching because we had only recently become friends.

"Wow, this is really cute," Alice gushed, holding up a small pair of black stilettos. Rosalie simultaneously held up a tight black vest from the Candy brand name, smirking.

"Jackie has style," she mused. "We need to give her a makeover, Ali. She will totally look hot after we're finished with her."

I laughed and tore open my gift from Jackie, smiling when I pulled out a _Pride and Prejudice_ DVD and a twenty-dollar gift card to Borders. I hadn't seen _Pride and Prejudice,_ but the book was fascinating enough.

After we finished putting away our gifts, we sat on the living room couch and talked, hanging out and gossiping and all that.

At one point, I brought up Alice and Jasper.

"Do you love Jasper, Alice?" I wondered whether or not the bet was still going on between Edward and me. After all, terms were slightly different now.

Alice looked thoughtful. "I feel like I love him," she said. "Jasper is amazing." She stared off for a moment while Rosalie and I listened intently. "He's honest with me, too. Like one time, he confessed that he kissed Heidi," Alice admitted.

Rosalie looked sorrowful, but my eyebrows shot up.

He confessed? That takes a lot of nerve.

"What did you do?" Rosalie asked.

Alice smiled. "Jasper told me that he was sorry, all that typical stuff, and then he said that Heidi was nothing like the sweet, innocent girl I am, and he never touched her again after that."

"You believe him?" I asked skeptically. Rosalie looked just as dubious as me.

"Of course I do," Alice replied, sounding slightly indignant. "And he's calling me right now, if you'll excuse me." She was gone in a split second, talking animatedly on her phone as her bedroom door slammed shut.

"Weird relationship," Rosalie said after a moment of quiet.

I nodded. "Yep. She's in love."

Rosalie laughed. "Precisely."

We sat in comfortable silence, and then I said, "Rose, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"Well," I dropped my voice to a whisper so Alice wouldn't hear, "Are you okay with my and Edward's relationship? I mean, you seem so indifferent about it."

Rosalie smiled at me and scooted closer so that she could wrap her arm around me.

"Bella," she murmured. "Edward likes you. A lot. I'm not Alice, so I don't know what there is to hate about him."

"And you know he likes me because…?"

"He put his arm around your – "

"Never mind," I sighed. "You just seem so easygoing about it; it's really unnerving."

Rosalie hesitated for a moment, and then she sighed. "Ask me again."

"What?"

"Ask me who Dan is."

"Umm…who's Dan?" I asked warily.

Rosalie swallowed, obviously nervous. "Look, Bella, don't get mad, alright? But Dan is Edward."

My heart sank. "For the love of golden wasps and –"

"It's not intimate, Bella," Rosalie interrupted calmly, gauging my reaction. I kept my face impassive, but on the inside, I was ringing with confusion.

"In early November, when we first came to Central Parkway, I asked Lorraine for the directions to Edward's dorm room," she hastily explain when she saw I was close to tears. "I knew he didn't share it with anyone, so I headed out. Bella, I was my old, party-girl self, alright? I asked him for a one-night-stand. It was stupid, I know," she admitted shamefully. "Alice had said that the cliques here didn't give a shit about relationships, so you could imagine my surprise when Edward refused. He told me to leave if that was what I wanted."

I stared at her for a moment, trying to tie that fact to the whole friendship.

"But you spent the night at his dorm," I retorted.

Rosalie shook her head. "That's where you're confused. I met up with him three times, Bella, the other two were nights. This meeting was during the day, and you and Alice were completely oblivious to it," she informed me.

"Then what about the night you spent?" I asked.

Rosalie grinned. "The second meeting was Edward's doing. It was a more progressive night."

Catching the hurt look on my face, Rosalie quickly added, "No, Bells, not like that. I mean for our rapport, if you will. Edward got to know me through Emmett, and he called me to meet up with him at his dorm. At first, I thought he was reconsidering the whole one-night-stand thing, and I told myself I wouldn't do it because Emmett was my boyfriend. When I got there, Edward let me in easily."

My mind went crazy as hurt seeped through my veins. Rosalie and Edward? How could she keep it from me? And Edward, how could _he_ keep it from me?

"Edward was nice," Rosalie explained. "We talked a little, got to know each other slightly, and then he asked about _you._" She looked at me sternly. "He wanted to know all about you, Bella. He told me that he would've done it himself, if only you'd paid him a speck of attention."

I frowned, but Rosalie continued to explain.

"I'm sure he realizes it now, but Edward was an arrogant douche bag, I'm sure you could tell. All the girls paid attention to him, so he got them easily without a need for effort. But _you_, Bella, you didn't give a damn. You didn't ogle or giggle and try to get his attention, and that frustrated him. He ranted to me, so I helped him."

"Was Emmett aware of this?" I asked, sounding like a disapproving mother.

Rosalie laughed. "Of course he was. He trusted me with Edward."

I gaped at her, looking incredulous. If I was Emmett, I would literally spy on the two of them just to make sure they weren't doing anything they weren't supposed to be doing.

"He loves me," Rosalie quickly said. "And I love him. He trusted me enough, so I trusted him with Jessica. It's all about loyalty, Bella."

"Wasn't that risky, though?" I asked, shocked and somewhat skeptical.

"Yes, it was, but that's not important," Rosalie said, smiling at me. "Anyway, I convinced Alice to let Mike be your date to the Winterfest. I knew she would never fully approve if it was Edward. I also knew that Mike is easily manipulated."

"Let me guess," I said. "You know that Edward and Tanya broke up."

Rosalie nodded. "Edward told me the day after, and it made things a lot easier." Rosalie sighed. "Bella, I'm sure you know this, but Tanya is…very vindictive." Yep. That was no surprise.

"At the dance, I was actually hoping Jessica would lure Mike away, because Mike is…well, as I said, easily manipulated. But Tanya doing it was fine. So, you scurried your little ass up to his dorm room, and then you guys had a romantic Christmas Eve together."

I stared at her, wide-eyed and astonished. "So this was all your doing?" I gasped as Rosalie shrugged. "Edward likes you a lot, Bella," she told me.

"But _why?_" I asked her. "Why did you help me? What if I –"

"It was a chance I was willing to take, "Rosalie interrupted. "I couldn't tell you because no one but Emmett, Edward, and I were supposed to know. I gave you the closest thing to the truth."

"What else do you know?" I asked her quietly, somehow already thinking I knew the answer. "I mean, how come you knew I would come find Edward?"

"Luck," Rosalie said, smiling. "With a twinge of knowledge about you and your relationship with Edward."

"You lost me."

"You need to understand that Edward and I are like brother and sister," she said. "I can't imagine doing anything else with him besides talking and hanging out like siblings. Edward told me about that little bet you have going on about Alice and Jazzy."

Great. She knew a lot more than I expected.

I swallowed nervously, feeling an odd lump in my throat. "But I'm your sister. Aren't I enough of a sibling for you? Why do you need another?" I asked, feeling a sense of loss.

Rosalie smiled and kissed the top of my head. "I could say the same thing to you, Bella, about Alice."

Touché.

"I want you to go talk to Edward," Rosalie murmured into my ear. "I'll take care of Alice."

"Thanks, Rose," I said genuinely, and she smiled, the atmosphere abruptly turning cheery. "Oh, and congratulations on winning Queen. I bet Lauren freaked when you danced with Jacob as Central Parkway's new King and Queen."

Rosalie laughed. "Actually, she was fuming and tried to exit, but she bumped into the punch table in her haste. Let's just say that it looks like she forgot to put on a pad, and it stained her dress."

I shuddered, trying to block out the image that formed in my mind. "Gross."

"I know."

-------o-------

I walked across the campus, looking up at the cloudy weather. A corner of the sun peeked out behind a puffy gray cloud, and a chilly breeze swam through the air. The climate itself wasn't that cold, it was only the wind. Nevertheless, I pulled my hood up on my hoodie and continued across the campus towards the boys' dormitories.

I'd texted Edward earlier, informing him of the fact that I would be coming over. He suggested that he come pick me up, but I told him that Alice was present.

I thought about what Rosalie said over and over in my mind. It all fit; I was just too blind to see or notice anything. Simultaneously, I couldn't find myself to be angry at Edward. I put myself in his shoes, and knew I'd probably be scared as to what the reaction might be if I were to know. But I wanted us to come to an agreement. I wanted things to work between Edward and I. I wanted –

I tripped over an unevenly cemented area and fell flat onto my face and stomach, bruising my knees in the process. Just a second later, the familiar sound of stilettos filled my ears, stopping a good one foot away from my face on the floor.

"Where you going, Swan?" Lauren's nasally voice said.

What? So now they're after me?

I got onto my feet, dusting off the dirt on my jeans, and glared at Lauren. Holy crap. She's a lot taller than I remember.

Jessica stood next to her, and Tanya stood at her left, both of them looking skanky yet highly intimidating. All three of them were glaring at me.

"What do you want, Mallory?" I snapped. I tried to do what Rosalie would do in this situation.

"Oh, you little baby," Lauren said smugly. "You're growing up. I mean, you _actually_ learned how to talk without Mamma Rosey here to stick up for you!"

I actually didn't find it that funny, but all three of them laughed loudly for emphasis.

Rolling my eyes, I attempted to sidetrack them and continue my journey to Edward's, but Tanya slipped a pale hand on my shoulder and yanked me back.

"I'm sorry about last night," Tanya said dramatically, not looking sorry at all. Her pale gray eyes were gleaming with hatred. "You must have had such a terrible night, all lonely. I mean" – she glanced at Lauren and Jessica and then back at me – "even_ Brandon _got herself a decent date, and we all know that's, like, impossible."

I plastered on a sickeningly sweet smile. "For your information, Tanya, I had the time of my life last night."

"Is that so?" she asked incredulously, picking nonchalantly at one of her fake nails.

"Actually, yes," I answered confidently. "All thanks to you."

Tanya's face dropped. "What?"

I snickered. "Well, Mike was _such_ a drab," I started dramatically, pacing around them and looking thoughtful. "So thanks for taking him away for me. If you hadn't done that, I wouldn't have…" I paused for dramatic effect, "…gotten the _best_ kiss of my life." _More like the only kiss. _But what she doesn't know won't hurt her. "The kiss I got absolutely surpassed Mike's kiss to you."

I stopped pacing and looked at Tanya, smirking.

"That is, if he even bothered to kiss those fake lips of yours. How much did Daddy pay for plastic surgery?" God, that was mean, wasn't it? I inwardly smacked myself. _No mercy!_

"Swan," Lauren started, "You have, like, no idea what you're talking about. That's, like, a nice story you've come up with, but we all know you're in denial."

I laughed loudly and turned to Tanya. "If anyone's in denial, it's Miss Dachelet here. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go somewhere before I freeze in this weather. And based off of what you girls are wearing" – I gave them a once-over, something Rosalie would do – "You'd probably drop dead from hypothermia."

I headed straight for Edward's dorm, barely glancing back.

-------o-------

"Bella," Edward breathed, smiling crookedly when he saw me at the door. His hair was tousled, and he was wearing a green sweater and dark blue jeans, both of which made his eyes stand out.

"Edward," I said in the same tone. His smile was contagious, and I couldn't help but grin as he let me into his room.

He handed me a mug of hot chocolate, shutting the dorm door and taking my hoodie for me.

"Is that a new shirt?" he asked, eyeing my blue v-neck.

I blushed and nodded. "Alice got it for me."

Edward chuckled. "I like it. Blue looks amazing on you," he said, kissing my cheek tenderly.

I smiled dreamily as he led me over to his black leather couch.

"I'm sorry I'm late," I mumbled, taking a sip and enjoying the warm sensation flowing down my throat. "Technical difficulties. And by the way, this is really good."

"Thanks, Bella," Edward replied, though he looked concerned. "What happened?"

"Nothing."

He gave me _the look._

"It's not important, Edward," I said stiffly. He narrowed his eyes at me, and I muttered, "I may have snapped at your ex-girlfriend."

He didn't say anything – only waited.

"She was being mean, and I couldn't help it!" I whined. "I mean, Lauren drives me up the wall, and Tanya is just this insane bitch who is so _full of herself_ and slutty that she could pass for a prostitute."

I crossed my arms across my chest and huffed heatedly, glaring up at the ceiling.

Edward laughed and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his warm chest. I gradually relaxed in his embrace, letting his calmness seep over me.

"You're cute when you're mad," he murmured into my hair.

"Haven't heard that one before," I said acidly, but I laughed and buried my face in the crook of his neck, yet again inhaling his sweet scent.

Edward stroked my hair. "Thanks for telling me, Bella. Just so you know, I'm not mad at you or anything. Tanya is a cold-hearted bitch and deserves whatever you told her."

I nodded, and we sank into our famous comfortable silence.

"Edward," I said as he made a quiet hum in response. "I want to talk to you about something. There's a real reason why I came here."

Edward pulled back to look at me. "What is it, Bella?"

"Is it true that you've been meeting up with Rose?"

Edward's eyes darkened, and he stared at me apprehensively. He opened his mouth a couple times, but no sound came out.

"Don't worry," I assured him quickly. "I'm not mad at you."

He nodded, looking anywhere but at me.

"When you put it that way…" he said quietly, "It sounds bad." He hesitated, and then continued, "I just wanted to know more about you, Bella. I mean, you looked so innocent, you know? How could someone like you ever want to be with someone like me? I'm so, so sorry, Bella, I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's fine, Edward. And I want to be with you," I told him genuinely. "I want us to be…us."

Edward cracked a smile, but it soon disappeared. "You've been sucked into my world, I'm afraid. Tanya never used to spare a glance in your direction, but now…" he trailed off, looking guilty.

"Don't worry," I said. "I can fend for myself. I'm like a cheetah."

"Compared to Tanya, you're a lamb."

"Thanks."

Edward laughed and resumed his gentle caressing. "Be careful," he whispered desperately, pressing his lips against the top of my head. "I swear, Bella, if she lays a finger on you…"

"You talk about her like she's a female clone of Mike," I mused.

He rolled his eyes. "So what if she is?" he teased.

"Edward, don't worry," I said. "Charlie signed me up for tae kwon do when I was eight. I'll break her nose or something."

That is, if I don't break my own on accident.

Edward looked at me for a moment and then nodded his head.

"And about the bet…" I started nervously.

"Ah, that," Edward said, laughing. "I thought about it, and realized I kinda lost my prize."

"What do you mean?"

"My prize was to kiss you anywhere I wanted to. I actually wanted to kiss your lips…"

I blushed furiously, trying to think up some other scenario. "We could…move it somewhere else…"

Edward smirked deviously. "Really? You mean, I could kiss you somewhere else?" he asked mischievously as I timidly nodded. "Perhaps, your arm. Or your neck," he mused.

I blushed an even darker shade of red, causing him to chuckle.

"I'm kidding, Bella," he said. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"No, it's okay," I said quickly. "We should keep the bet going. It adds a little excitement to life."

"Err…" Edward said wearily, running a hand through his bronze-colored hair. "Yeah, you see, I've crossed to the dark side."

I stared at him. "Huh?"

He scratched the side of his head nervously. "Jasper won't shut up about my sister, and he went into this huge description of their first kiss. I wanted to vomit. The guy is completely and totally in love with her."

"Ha!" I said before I could stop myself. "So I was right!"

"Technically, they have to say it to each other in order for you to win the bet."

I thought for a moment. "In that case, bet's off," I said thoughtfully. "You, me, Rose, and Emmett should team up and help them confess to each other. Alice is taken by him, too, you know."

Edward smiled at me. "If that's what you want, Bella. Emmett and I can convince Jasper."

"And Rose and I can convince Alice…"

We looked at each other for a moment, and then laughed.

"Fantastic plan," I giggled. "Our prizes for the bet are pretty much worthless now, anyway."

Edward smiled. "Of course."

"Besides, I don't need to win a bet to get you to kiss me. Right?" I asked, pouting.

Edward pretended to look thoughtful, and I glowered at him, and then tucked my head in the crook of his neck.

"I mean, I rubbed it in Tanya's face that we kissed," I said. "I told her that the kiss was the best. Amazing, even."

I could hear the smile in his voice as he ran his fingers through my hair, carefully working out the tangled knots. "Really? You found it... amazing?"

I nodded sincerely, turning a shade of red.

Edward lifted my head so we were eye level and smiled at me.

"Then I suppose…" He looked at my lips and then back into my eyes, "You wouldn't mind me kissing you again, right?"

I didnt even have time to answer as he crashed his lips to mine, giving me the best kissing experience of a lifetime.

--  
**aww. cute. hopefully.**

**- I hope you understand the whole dan situation, its really complicted, but i laid out the little hints. it all fits together. i think.  
- and i hope you understand why i ended the bet, becasue thinkabout it. their prizes _are_ useless now, because they're sorta dating. so yeah. but now...minor alice jazzy love story squished into here. :D  
- finally, i hope that liottle doze of drama was good. xD**

**drop a review please!**


	21. These Silences Have Words

**haha update. hope you like this chappy. its sorta filler, but at the same time, it has a lot of buildup/development stuff. hope you lovee :D**

**and thanks adrienne for helping me out with a small itty bitty part of this chappyy. woo! :P **

**and dudes. i started the house of night series and haha. its funnyy and pretty good :D it annoys me how they spell it vampyre though, instead of vampire. idk. it just does xD  
**

**dont forget to review for me :D**

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**CHAPTER 20 – These Silences Have Words**

"Their New Year's needs to be flawless," I said in a hushed voice, looking around at my friends as we leaned over the kitchen counter.

"One to remember," Rosalie added.

"The most incredible experience," Edward murmured.

"This is the best cookie I've ever had in my_ entire_ _life_."

All three of us turned to glare at Emmett, who was happily munching on the Chocolatey Santa Claus Delites Donna had given Rosalie for Christmas.

When he caught us scowling, he gradually stopped chewing and gave us a confused expression. Rosalie snatched the cookie out of his head and threw it into the trash, ignoring his whine and looking back down on the notepad.

"I don't know what to do," I sighed. "Alice and Jasper need to have a romantic evening!" I looked back and forth between Rosalie and Edward. "Can't you guys come up with a scheme for them, like you did for me?"

Rosalie looked nervous. "I don't know, Bells. Alice is a pretty independent person. And they work pretty well on their own."

"Jasper does anything Alice does," Edward added. "Maybe we could put that to good use."

"You're absolutely sure that they love each other?" Emmett asked, looking around our kitchen in search of food. He pulled open our refrigerator and shuffled through its contents. "Have any of them said it?"

"They've implied it…" Rosalie said uncertainly.

"Implied it isn't enough," Emmett said, opening a package of string cheese. He began to eat it vigorously, meanwhile saying, "You need to hear it aloud, straight and forward. We don't want a misunderstanding."

All four of us looked at each other apprehensively, and Rosalie sighed in defeat, tossing the pen onto the pad and strutting out of the kitchen.

-------o-------

Edward and I spent the five following days after Christmas spending as much time together as possible, without Alice knowing. There were several times where I'd asked why Alice couldn't know, but Emmett gave me the same, "She would have his head" response over and over. I eventually gave up asking. The look he'd give would scare the hell out of me, so Edward and I were careful to only meet when Alice was with Jasper.

Edward and I got super close, and I'd even spent one night at his dorm room. We would listen to music, talk, watch movies, and hang out all the time. He would crack a joke, and I would laugh. There were also times where we would get into a debate over our philosophies, which usually resulted in Edward laughing at me and me getting mad at him. And then he'd kiss me, and all the anger would be forgotten.

I would come home to my dorm room, and Rosalie and Alice would smile at me. Alice was suspicious – I knew – for she continually asked what was up with my suddenly jubilant vibe. Honestly, I couldn't see any difference, but Rosalie told me to go look in the mirror. I obliged.

The first time I actually tried to look for the differences, they popped out like a neon-green dog in a horde of black ones. Compared to before Christmas Eve, it was like night and day. My face glowed, and my cheeks were sore from excessive smiling and laughing. I looked…"healthy," but it wasn't as if I wasn't healthy before. I don't know – it was a strange feeling. But either way, I knew I was different. Things had changed. And my _eyes._ They sparkled with happiness, something instinct told me only Edward could cause to happen.

As I'd stared at my reflection, I thought of how much I had changed because of Edward. For instance, I threw away all of my hazel-colored contacts. I stuck with my natural eye color – brown. The first night I did so, Edward smiled at me, looking happier and more buoyant than I'd ever seen him. I knew that from the look on his face, I wasn't plain. And that's why I discarded the contacts.

And here I was again, looking at myself in the mirror.

My eyes went from my face, trailed down my neck, and down the length of my arm to rest on the little golden heart that discreetly dangled out from underneath my green sleeve. I'd been wearing long sleeves lately, not only because of the weather, but because I wanted to wear the bracelet he gave me without Alice or anyone else seeing. It always reminded me of him, not that Edward was never on my mind.

A sudden vibration noise snapped me out of my observations, and I hurried out of the bathroom towards my bed, where my cell phone was vibrating. One look at the Caller ID, and I was grinning like an idiot.

"Hi, Edward," I said into the phone, feeling my grin widen when I heard his musical voice.

"_Bella_," he responded, sounding amused. Then he sighed. "_I miss you."_

I giggled, sounding like a giddy schoolgirl – which I was. "I just saw you last night. We had dinner together and I glared at the waitress that was flirting with you," I said innocently, remembering her face clearly. I also remembered her actions, with her hips swaying suggestively and her long blond hair which she flipped over and over as if to prove a point.

Edward chuckled. "_When can I see you again?"_

I glanced at my watch. It was only noon-ish, and Alice had plans to have lunch with Jasper. I swear, our dorm room was pretty much empty lately. Rosalie was always with Emmett, Alice was always with Jasper, and now I was always with Edward.

"Soon," I said, smiling at the thought of seeing Edward again. "What do you want to do?"

_"I can order pizza,_" he offered. "_We can have lunch together. And then hang out after. I want to talk to you about something."_

I wondered what he could want to talk to me about, but otherwise responded, "Okay. I'll see you in ten minutes." I could almost imagine Alice scurrying around her room in search of a fashionable outfit to wear.

"_Do you want me to come pick you up?"_

"I can walk," I answered.

_"Bella –"_

"It's fine," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm not going to run into Tanya or anything, so don't worry. Bye, Edward." I hung up before he could retort, and laughed at his overprotective personality.

True to my word, by the time Alice was out the door on her lunch date with Jasper, I was crossing the quad to the boys' dormitories peacefully, remembering to skip over that unevenly cemented area. I'd done it several times before, and just like those times, Lauren and her clique didn't show up to cause trouble again.

The door was open before I could even knock.

Edward grinned crookedly at me, his green eyes shining brightly and eagerly.

"Hello, Bella," he murmured, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on my lips.

I smiled against his lips. "Edward," I breathed blissfully, sounding almost teasing. "Are you going to let me in?"

He laughed and pulled back, stepping away from the doorway. "Sure."

Shutting the door, he once again took my coat for me and I comfortably settled down onto the black leather couch, admiring his music collection from afar.

"You can play whatever you'd like," he said, sitting down next to me. "The pizza is coming soon. I hope you like pepperoni."

I nodded, blushed, and stood up, eager to get my hands on his music. Over the past five days, I'd managed to gather a huge load of new songs onto my iPod, thanks to Edward and his incredibly large music collection.

After flipping through some of his CDs, I shoved a Fountains of Wayne CD into the player, and the music blared through the speakers, somewhat loud but not annoyingly so.

I settled back down onto the sofa and met his surprised gaze.

"What?" I asked cautiously.

He laughed and tenderly kissed my cheek. "Fountains of Wayne," he murmured thoughtfully. "I thought you hated them."

"I didn't know them, actually."

"Until now."

"Until now," I agreed, rolling my eyes as a knock was heard.

Edward went to the door, and the mouthwatering aroma of pizza filled my nose. He exchanged a couple words with the delivery person, whom I couldn't see, and returned back to the living room area with a box of pizza.

"We're not going to finish this," I said worriedly, staring at all the slices dubiously.

Edward laughed. "If we don't, Emmett can get some free pizza. God knows he'd eat it whether it was rotten or covered in cream cheese."

I giggled and pulled out a piece.

We sat and talked and ate like usual, chatting amiably about random things. Sometime during our conversations, I switched the CD to Dashboard Confessional, which sparked up another conversation. Edward asked about everything, even when I thought he'd finished four days ago. I was fine with answering them, though, because I knew he left the opportunity open to refusal. What intrigued me most was the fact that he clung to my every word, and his eyes were glued to me the entire time I spoke.

I ended up eating only two slices, and Edward had…eight. I don't know _how_ the hell he did it, but he did, and when I asked him, he simply shrugged it off like it was nothing. If Edward could eat eight slices, then Emmett could have probably ten or more.

"See?" Edward asked, closing the now-empty box. "We finished it."

"You mean _you_ finished it," I mumbled. "Aren't you stuffed?"

Edward shrugged and pulled me onto his lap. "Not really."

"Damn."

He laughed and kissed the top of my head. "I have a big stomach?" he asked, raising an innocent eyebrow at me.

I laughed. "Sure."

We sank into comfortable silence after that, not really having anything to talk about – which I didn't mind. I only did what I always did – snuggled closer to his chest, inhaling his sweet scent. And Edward did what he always did – buried his face in my hair and inhaled the scent of it. He would occasionally kiss the top of my head, or laugh at my occasional comments at some of the songs.

It was always these moments together that made me wonder what I was feeling. What did I feel? I wanted to stay here with him, and never, ever move. With Edward, life seemed to be a completely new reality. He made me feel safe and protected, but at the same time happy and loved. Loved. That's exactly how I felt when I was around him. It was a whole other world when Edward was near me, and I totally and completely succumbed to it.

Sometimes, while I was in his arms, I would feel an odd clenching in my chest. It wasn't hurtful or anything, just different and unusual. I would involuntarily pull myself closer to him, trying to fill every empty space between us. It was strange, but it was pleasurable simultaneously. I liked it. A lot. And I didn't plan on losing it any time soon, or ever even.

"Bella," Edward murmured after what seemed like hours. I could feel his lips move against the top of my head.

"Hmm," I responded, once again instinctively grinning when I heard his silky voice.

"New Year's is coming in two days," he said, lifting my chin up so that we faced each other. His green eyes were smoldering as they bore into my brown ones. "New Year's Eve is tomorrow night…" he trailed off, looking almost nervous, and then started, "And I was wondering if you wanted to spend it with me."

Wondering? Wow.

"Of course I do," I answered boldly, barely hesitating. "You know I always want to be with you, Edward."

My words somehow calmed him, and the slightly concerned and anxious expression on his face faded, replaced by my favorite crooked grin.

"Thanks so much, Bella," he said, leaning down and pressing his lips firmly against mine. "It means so much to me."

I grinned lazily and deepened the kiss, enjoying this new sensation that was Edward.

-------o-------

"He invited you to spend New Year's Eve with him?" Rosalie asked, shocked as I nodded sheepishly, incredibly thrilled by the thought.

My sister laughed. "Wow. You should hang with him, Bells."

"But what about you and Alice?"

Rosalie waved her hand indifferently. "She and I will be occupied with our boyfriends, so you don't need to worry about us."

I bit my lip. "Are you sure? I –"

"Bells, I'm absolutely sure," Rosalie said, putting a hand on my shoulder to reassure me. "He totally likes you." _Haven't heard that one before. _"Go have fun with him tomorrow night."

I nodded, feeling a new bubble of excitement form in my stomach. _Yes!_ I thought brightly. I tried to imagine another night with Edward, and maybe I could even spend the night with him. He knew, and I knew, that we slept best together. I smiled at the thought.

Rosalie eventually babbled about Lauren's fashion issues while I nodded and agreed with her when necessary. About five minutes into the conversation, the dorm door opened and Alice's tinkling, soprano voice sang, "I'm home!"

I went out to greet her. "Hey, Alice. How was –" I froze, taking in the sight of her.

When Alice left for lunch, she was dressed in a chic, sophisticated outfit complete with her new black stilettos and a fashionable coat. When she came back, Alice was covered in food. Literally. Pieces of cake were scattered all over her body, and what looked like crumbs were lost in her now messy, jet black hair. Her clothes were stained in various colors that represented different types of food, and what looked like smeared frosting. All in all, she looked like a total grinning mess.

"What on Earth –?"

Alice giggled and stepped into the room, followed by Jasper, who looked just as messy and disoriented as she did. Except Jasper had it forty times worse.

"Hi, Jasper," I said, willing myself to stare into his bright blue eyes and not somewhere else, like his honey blond hair (which was covered in so much crap I couldn't even begin to explain).

He did his signature stuff – smiled and waved.

I looked back at Alice, but before I could say anything, she quickly said, "Well, I am going to take a shower." She looked at Jasper, smiling like an idiot, and I quickly scurried out of the room to give them their privacy.

I heard the dorm door shut moments later, and entered the living room just in time to see a flushed, overexcited Alice.

"What the _hell_ did you guys do?"

Alice grinned, still in some sort of daze. "Jasper and I had a picnic in the middle of the quad," she said dreamily. I raised an eyebrow at her – pretty public. "Don't worry, Bells," she added. "It was super romantic. We ate and talked, and then I was eating some cupcakes, and then I shoved frosting onto his nose on accident. He laughed and…"

Alice went into one of her famous hardcore explanations about her lunch date with Jasper, her statement of showering forgotten. I did what I usually do – nod and coo when it's necessary while Alice paced around the room doing those weird hand motions. She and Jasper got into some sort of food fight, apparently, which resulted in a huge mess and whatnot.

"When I'm with Jasper" – she tossed her purse carelessly onto the couch and plopped down next to it, sighing happily – "it's like the outside world doesn't exist. Only Jasper and me."

Her words sounded awfully familiar. Like something I'd thought before, except with Edward.

"Do you…do you love him, Ali?" I asked, sitting on the arm of the couch as Rosalie appeared in the room, flipping through some papers with a small frown.

"Yes," she said without hesitation.

Rosalie's eyes immediately snapped up to Alice, momentarily disregarding the papers.

"Does Jasper love you?" Rosalie asked, taking part in the exchange.

Alice shrugged, abruptly looking sad. "I don't know. Sometimes, I think he does. And other times…I just don't know."

I put a hand on her shoulder. "Alice, I'm sure he does. Don't lose hope, alright?"

She nodded, but still looked quite skeptical.

Alice eventually left for her shower, and Rosalie and I went to go kill time. Well, that was actually me. Rosalie was locked in her room – rather than the living room – to finish up the rest of her college applications. She informed me of only one more school to go, which was a relief, since the bags under her eyes and the tiredness in them showed stress.

I was listening to my iPod and flipping through _Macbeth_ when I heard a knock at the door.

Tugging out my earphones and setting the book on the bedside table, I exited my bedroom, but stopped halfway when I realized who was at the door. And who had answered it.

"Alice, I just want – "

"You can't see her," Alice retorted, glaring angrily up at her brother. "What the hell are you even doing here, anyway?"

"I…want to give something to her," Edward replied, sounding like he was coming up with a lie.

Neither of them noticed me.

"Well, give it to me," Alice snapped. "I can be the messenger."

"Alice," Edward said, sounding weary and impatient. "Just let me see Bella."

"No," she said acidly. "Bella is an innocent person, and I refuse to let your arrogance rub off on her."

"Alice, I'm not _arrogant,_" Edward said, scowling. "At least not any –"

"I don't want you here," Alice interrupted. "So leave. Otherwise, give me the damn - "

"Edward?" I said, getting slightly uncomfortable when both of their heads snapped in my direction. "W-What are you doing here?" I asked, stepping even closer to the siblings.

From the new angle I stood at, I could see how Alice's hands were clenched at her side, and how her blue-green eyes were hard with hatred. Edward's jaw was stiff and taut, and he appeared to be refraining himself from yelling at his younger sister.

His emerald green eyes, though, softened when he saw me. And Alice unclenched her fists.

"Bella," Edward said. I could see the corners of his lips twitching in an effort to hide a smile.

I resisted as well, and turned to Alice. "Alice, don't worry about me," I said.

She and I had a staring contest, which eventually resulted in me winning. Alice huffed and grabbed her purse with much more force than necessary.

"Fine," she grumbled, not looking at either of us. "Jasper's taking me out to dinner anyway."

As soon as she was out the door (she'd slammed it shut with a lot more force than needed), Edward crashed his lips to mine, his mouth fervent and eager. I kissed him back (obviously) and wound my fingers in his hair, feeling the soft, auburn locks. One of his hands was on the back of my head, his fingers tangled in my brown hair. His other hand rested lightly on my waist, just above the waistband of my jeans. And the next thing I knew, I was pressed up against the door of my bedroom.

And losing a crapload of oxygen.

I pulled back, gasping for air, while Edward's lips never left my skin. Instead, he gently trailed them along the length of my jaw, his ragged breathing tickling my skin, causing me to giggle. I pulled his lips back to mine, and the kiss was gentle and sweet, much unlike the kiss right before it.

"What," I said breathlessly, pulling away and blushing madly, "did I do to deserve _that_?"

Edward chuckled and kissed my cheek. "I missed you."

I laughed, and we ungracefully stumbled into my bedroom. I pulled him over to my bed, and we resumed the position we always stayed in – me on his lap, his arms around me while I buried my face in the crook of his neck.

"I saw you earlier today," I said, laughing against the side of his neck.

Edward looked sheepish. "Well, I…" he trailed off, averting his gaze from mine, "I don't like not being with you…" he said softly, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

Oh Lord. He looked completely and utterly adorable.

I blushed, looking even redder than he did, and mumbled, "Me neither." I instinctively reached for his pale hand, admiring the long fingers for lack of anything better to do. Tracing the lines on the soft palm of his hand, I said, "I don't like it when you're not with me."

He didn't respond, so I looked up from his hand to observe his reaction.

Edward's face was impassive, but his eyes spoke for him. I don't know if it was because of the lighting, or something, or even the angle I was staring at, but his green eyes seemed to be liquidy – even more than before. They were a rich, thick, pool of green, and they smoldered as his gaze locked with mine, as if saying an unheard message. We didn't speak at all after that, just stared at each other until he had to go, for Alice was coming home soon.

It wasn't in a freakish sort of way or anything, but rather…intimate, if you will. Edward occasionally brought his hand up to caress my cheek, and other times, he'd brush his lips against mine, or my forehead, or my hand, never taking his eyes away from me.

I would feel his rough calluses, absentmindedly playing around with his fingers while staring into his eyes. I would also kiss his cheek every now and then, marveling at his flawless facial features. He was so godly and perfect, how did I ever deserve him?

During these quiet moments, I would get those feelings again, those weird, foreign sentiments and emotions that tugged at my chest. It was different, but it felt nice at the same time. Electricity sparked between us, and the connection was so incredibly strong it seemed as if I couldn't look away. I never looked away.

It was slightly strange and unusual, but the silence seemed…right.

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**i hope you loved it :D or liked it. somewhat.**

**good lfuff, ehh? lol. sorry. umm...i THINK this story will be at least 25 chapters...so...well, we'll see. this is buildup right now, which is pretty important. but at the same tiem, cute, right? x_X**

**drop a review please :D**


	22. A Guy's Idea of Romance

**okay. after reading house of night, ive realized that if that is how boarding school is, then my image of boarding school is way, way off. SO, let us pretend that the boarding school in my story is real and actually exists, okay? x_x unless youve already done that. in that case, thanks. xD and speaking of HoN, imma end up writing about it in some upcoming chappy. you shall see what i mean.**

**anyway, this chap is okay. fluffyy goodness. it didnt turn out how i wanted it to, but i think its decent. long chapter. hope you like, and review!**

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**CHAPTER 21 – A Guy's Idea of Romance**

"For the love of golden wasps and purple candy canes," I began, staring at Edward's cell phone screen, "He loves her."

Rosalie rolled her eyes, still looking absolutely bored as she picked at her nails. "Yes, Bella, he loves her. Obviously."

"Well then why aren't they saying anything about it?" I exclaimed, throwing my arms up exasperatedly. I quickly handed Edward his phone before I threw that up too. "It's like they each chicken out or something."

"Love is a pretty big step," Emmett pointed out, pulling a can of Pepsi out of Edward's refrigerator and walking back to the small living room.

"Says the guy who fell in love with Rosalie the night after they had sex," Edward said dryly, glaring at his friend.

"Hey, it was some good sex," Emmett retorted unabashedly, while Edward groaned and I buried my face in his neck to hide the blush that had crept onto my cheeks. I heard a noise that sounded like something hit something else, which was actually Rosalie's hand coming in contact with Emmett's head.

"Stop groaning, Eddiebear," Emmett said loudly, taking another gulp of Pepsi. "You're just jealous because you're sexually repressed."

It was Rosalie's turn to groan, and Emmett was guffawing so loudly I was almost sure that the person next-door could hear him. I looked up at Edward's pale face curiously, watching as he ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"Thanks, Emmett," he said stiffly, refusing to meet my gaze. "Thanks. A lot."

"No problem, bro," Emmett responded coolly.

"Back on topic?" Rosalie said. She had scooted far, far away from Emmett, as if acting like she had nothing to do with him. Meeting my amused gaze, Rosalie laughed. "Anyway, we know that they both love each other," Rosalie said. "They need to tell each other. Alice is so hooked, it's not even funny."

"And Jasper is completely entranced by her," Emmett added. "So what do we do?"

"We shouldn't do anything," I answered. "Alice, like we've said before, is pretty damn independent. She can do it on her own. And when she's ready to tell him, he'll be ready to tell her."

"Or vice versa," Edward added, smiling warmly at me before kissing the tip of my nose.

My face went red, and I looked back at Rosalie and Emmett, who were staring at us with goofy grins.

"You two are so cute," Rosalie gushed. "But still. I have to agree with Bella. After all, it _is_ their love life."

We all made noises of agreement, until I felt something vibrate near my leg.

Edward sighed and pulled out his cell phone, smiling when he read the text message.

"Apparently, Jasper plans to tell her tonight."

"Aww, New Year's Eve, how adorable," Rosalie gushed again.

"Tell me about it," I said, laughing. "At least we'll know that Alice is okay with it. And Edward, you and Em can go encourage Jasper or something."

They both grinned and nodded.

-------o-------

"Is it going to rain tonight?" I asked, my hands fidgeting while Rosalie curled my hair.

Rosalie shook her head, smiling softly. "Nah. Edward would make sure of it."

I sighed. Before I'd left Edward's dorm, he'd told me to meet him at the football field. Then he'd snuck a look at Rosalie, and they both grinned. So clearly, I knew Rosalie had something to do with it.

"Spill," I demanded.

She pressed her lips together and shook her head again. "Don't worry, Bells, you'll totally love it."

I glared at her through the mirror, and she just laughed. "Bella, he planned it all by himself. And why would he do that?" She leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Because he loves you."

I laughed loudly. "Right. He loves me. Way to go, Rose."

"No seriously, he does," Rosalie said.

"And has he told you?"

My sister tugged on a lock of brown hair and twisted it around the heated curling iron, looking thoughtful and hesitant simultaneously. After several seconds of silence, she finally replied.

"No." Rosalie pursed her lips, and then continued, "But Bella, the looks he gives you are so obvious. Even Emmett agrees."

I looked at her dubiously. "And how long have we been dating?"

"Five days."

"Exactly."

Rosalie sighed, releasing the strand of hair, tugging on it lightly to see if it would bounce. It did.

"I look stupid," I mumbled, glancing hopelessly at my reflection.

"No, you look gorgeous," Rosalie responded, giving one last strand of hair a light yank before releasing it. The lock of hair bounced, and she moved it so it rested over my shoulder. "Edward will think you're the most beautiful creature on this planet. Actually," Rosalie said, frowning, "He thought you were beautiful the moment he locked eyes with you."

I blushed as she handed me a pair of skinny jeans and held up two tank tops. One blue, one green. "Choose."

"Blue," I said automatically, knowing Edward liked that color.

Rosalie nodded and tossed me the shirt.

"I'm going to freeze."

Rosalie laughed as if I'd just said a hilarious joke. "No you're not, Bella."

"Yes I am," I answered, looking at the thin shirt. "Alice would –"

"Alice isn't here," Rosalie interrupted sternly. "Jasper had his knickers in a twist because he wanted to see her so badly."

"Knickers?"

"Boxers."

"Right," I sighed as she tossed me an white cardigan with sleeves that extended to my elbows.

"Put that over it."

I changed while Rosalie began to get ready herself, looking absolutely elated to be spending New Year's Eve – and most likely New Year's – with Emmett. I couldn't blame her – I was just as excited to see Edward, as I always was.

"Just so you know," my sister said while I began to apply a light layer of eye shadow, "You're totally and completely breaking the rules tonight. Are you willing to do that?"

I tilted my head to the side. "I've done it before."

"That's the spirit!"

-------o-------

"Thanks, Rose," I said genuinely, giving my sister a big hug.

Rosalie laughed and pulled back, smiling at me. "Bells, you've matured so much," she said, reminding me of the mother I never had. Then her brown eyes widened, and she was gone for a split second. She came back with a small bag that I put onto my shoulder. "Overnight bag," Rosalie informed me. "When the clock strikes twelve and you're done with your lovey-doveyness, you'll be heading back to his dorm. You're sleeping with him tonight."

"When you put it that way…"

"I mean sleeping sleeping," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes. "Unless you wanted to, ya know, do it? I can get you better pajamas, ones that Edward Cullen would definitely appre–"

"No!" I shouted, turning a deadly shade of crimson. "A t-shirt and pants are fine," I said quickly, satisfied to find those clothing items in the bag.

Rosalie laughed. "Go have fun with Edward tonight, and don't worry about tomorrow morning. I told Alice you're sleeping over at Jackie's dorm. God knows she'd murder her brother if he was found dating you. She doesn't know much of how Edward is now."

"Now?"

"He doesn't cheat anymore, you know," Rosalie said. "He's with one girl only, and that one girl is you. Alice doesn't want to have anything to do with her brother, so it's sort of hard to convince her of anything dealing with him. But we'll worry about it later, Bella. Now, get your ass down to that field before the boy comes up here and looks for you on his own."

"Thanks so much!" I squealed again.

She laughed. "Hurry up, Bells. Edward will be absolutely thrilled to see you."

I felt all giddy and happy inside. "You enjoy your time with Emmett, okay?"

"Definitely," Rosalie replied. "Love you, sis."

"I love ya too," I answered, laughing before the door slammed shut.

I hurried across the quad, feeling the ecstatic buzz that went around campus. People and students were everywhere, chatting excitedly about anything and everything, laughing and cheering and making their New Year's Resolutions or whatever. The buzz was contagious, because the next thing I knew, I was just as joyful.

The pink, blue, and purplish sky darkened into a simple but serene midnight blue. Twilight, or it was twilight. I grinned, because I knew that twilight was Edward's favorite time of day. It was mine too. I always enjoyed the colors, and how beautiful the sky would appear.

The night air wasn't as cold as I'd expected, although a cool, gentle breeze would come every now and then. It was refreshing and calm, making the quiet, dimly lit campus glow with tranquility. I knew that around midnight, when it was officially a new year, the temperature would drop. I wondered why we were spending it outside, though. I mean, I knew Edward enough to say that he wouldn't dare let me get sick. If he did, I'd probably get him sick on accident anyway.

As I got closer to my destination, the buzz and talk faded into the background, although it was definitely still there. But it was more like a hum, such as the gentle ticking of a clock that one never really notices unless they try to.

I stepped onto the football field, wondering what Edward's intentions were. Was it supposed to be romantic? I was really, really confused. Until I saw the center of it.

At first, it appeared to be just a glow, a glow of yellow. And then the glows seemed to flicker and bob, revealing the dark silhouette of a certain someone. For a split second, the glow worked in my favor. It flickered and blinked, illuminating the pale, high cheekbones, the strong, straight nose, and the shiny shade of bronze I knew much too well. I was smiling like an idiot.

I laughed, and Edward snapped his head in my direction. He stared for a moment, and then a corner of his lips pulled up into the lopsided grin.

"Edward Cullen," I said loudly, annunciating every syllable.

"Isabella Swan," he answered, heading towards me, looking quite handsome in a pair of jeans and a black polo shirt.

We met halfway between the end of the field and the center of it, and his grin softened, though his green eyes were ablaze with anticipation and excitement.

He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine, and I reveled in the soft, warm feeling of him. His arms were around me, and suddenly, my slightly chilled fingertips weren't chilled anymore.

He pulled back, only to drag his lips up to my temple, placing a small kiss there. He moved them down again (while my breathing was seriously uneven), and they lingered right next to my ear.

"You look beautiful," Edward murmured, his breath tickling my skin, making my heart race.

"S-So do you," I said dreamily, barely registering anything except how close he was. Oh damn. Did I just say he was beautiful? Way to ruin his manliness. "I mean, thanks. I'm wearing jeans, though."

Edward laughed, kissed my cheek, and laced his fingers through mine, gently leading me over to the glowed up area.

"I know there are candles," he said quickly, looking abashed and much like a little boy, which I always found cute and adorable. "And I know candles have flames. But don't worry, they're in oil lamp jar thingies," he said, scratching his head with a perplexed expression.

I laughed, staring at the wide blue blanket that spread across the grass, looking absolutely warm and comfortable. It was also long enough for someone like Edward to lie down on. A picnic basket lay off to the side, and many of the "oil lamp jar thingies," as Edward referred to them, lay in the corners. The field itself was dimly lit, since no one on campus really goes out to the field late at night. Still, the faint glow from the lights of the field illuminated the region.

I grinned at him, feeling all loved and nervous and hyped at the same time, and he took my hand and led me to the blanket. I sat down, watching enviously as he sat beside me, moving gracefully and smoothly, whereas I, who'd done it two seconds before, just plopped down all un-lithe and inelegant.

Damn these graceful Cullens.

"Is it too much?" Edward asked, looking quite nervous as he watched my reaction.

I hesitated before answering. "Yeah," I said, chewing on my lip thoughtfully. Then I kissed him chastely. "But I love it."

Edward grinned. "Good."

"Yep."

"You still look beautiful, you know," Edward murmured, patting my knee. "In jeans."

I looked down at the black skinny jeans Rosalie forced (not really) upon me, and shrugged, blushing. "Thanks."

He laughed and pulled me onto his lap, sitting criss-cross applesauce on the blanket. Then he reached for the picnic basket.

I watched curiously as he opened one side, and the mouthwatering aroma of food instantly flooded my nose. He took out the contents of the basket while I tried to decide which one to eat.

"I hope you're hungry," Edward said, chuckling at the astonished expression on my face.

"How did you – where did you – " I stopped and reached for a container, lifting off the lid to see its contents. Fettuccini alfredo. "Oooh. Yum," I said before I could stop myself.

Edward laughed and handed me a fork. "Eat," he said, smiling while I took a bite.

"Mmm," I sighed contently. "This is delicious! Thanks, Edward. Did you make this?"

He shook his head sheepishly. "I wish. I bought it from Achille's. It's a small Italian place right on campus."

I nodded wholeheartedly, reaching for a second container. A delicately-made Caesar salad awaited, looking utterly tasty.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" I said, turning my gaze to meet Edward's. I stopped chewing when I saw him watching me with utmost curiosity and affection, his green eyes sparkling. For some reason, his intense scrutiny caused me to blush. "Err…" I wracked my brain for something to say. "Want some?" I blurted lamely, holding up the container of salad.

_You idiot!_ I screamed mentally. _Don't offer the guy half-eaten food!_

Aw, damn. Too late.

Edward caught the hysteric look on my face and kissed my forehead, chuckling amusedly.

"You should eat something," I mumbled weakly, patting his hard, six-packed stomach. Or I could assume there's a six pack. "I feel weird eating up all the stuff you bought."

He looked at me thoughtfully. "That's really no excuse, Bella."

"If I told you to eat, would you?" I asked, batting my eyelashes at him. I meant the gesture to be teasing, but something flashed in his eyes.

He ran a hand through his hair and then sighed. "Probably. Yeah."

I held up a forkful of salad, smiling innocently as I waved it around in the air. "Healthy and nutritious," I sang.

Edward wearily sighed again and reached for the fork with his hand. I shook my head, narrowing my eyes at him.

He looked confused for a moment, and then I could almost imagine the light bulb blink brightly in his head when a look of realization crossed his face. He pursed his lips unhappily, and I pouted.

"Fine," he sighed reluctantly. But he smiled and opened his mouth.

I grinned merrily.

-------o-------

"My father is in jail," Edward murmured, looking directly up into the darkening sky. Little specks of white glittered above, and the wide expanse of dark blue made it seem like an endless carpet dotted with stars. "He turned abusive and became an alcoholic."

His thumb rubbed light, soothing circles on the side of my waist, and I rested my head on his shoulder, enjoying the warmth radiating from his body. The air didn't seem cold anymore, and the world around me didn't even seem to exist. It was just me and Edward, lost in our own little universe.

"He and Mom got into a lot of arguments," Edward added. "At first, the arguments centered on the fact that my dad thought his wife had an affair with another man. He caught Mom and some other guy dining together at a coffee shop. But it seemed that everyone besides him knew there was no affair. Elizabeth Masen was totally and completely in love with her husband, but he refused to accept it."

His green eyes seemed to darken for a moment, his gaze intense as I snuggled closer to his side, my arm draped over his chest.

"He suspected her of lying to him when she denied the accusation," Edward said. "That's when the beating started. I can't really say when the drug addiction began. I was really young at the time, like a toddler. All I know is that it happened." Edward sighed and brushed his lips against the top of my head.

"He seemed to take pleasure in beating her. But Mom didn't believe much in violence, and so she let him hurt her. She was blinded by the fact that one day, Edward Senior would turn good again and become the man she fell in love with. But it never came," he said sadly. I pulled him closer to me, kissing his jaw gently in hope of reassuring him.

He really didn't need to tell me anything. I mean, at one moment, we were literally flirting and stuffing cheesecake into each other's mouths, and then now, we sounded like we were in the middle of a trial. Simultaneously, I felt the sadness that seemed to flow from his body to mine. I wanted him to tell me, too, because I wanted to better understand him.

"The day never came," he repeated impassively, "because he killed her with his bare hands. I was almost eight at the time. Before, Mom always had trouble hiding the bruises from her co-workers and friends, even with makeup and long sleeves. She said things like, _'Oh, I fell' _and, _'I had a clumsy moment again.'"_ He chuckled, his other unoccupied hand reaching for one of mine. He brought it to his lips and kissed the knuckles gently. "I wonder if they ever actually believed her, because I could swear that she'd said it so often."

"I'm sorry," I said softly, hating that sad, defeated tone in his voice. I wasn't sure what to say, in fear of saying something totally wrong. I didn't want to hurt him anymore than he already was. "I'm…I'm sorry."

"Don't say that," he sighed. "It's not your fault." We lay in silence, and then the soft, silkiness of Edward's voice broke in. "Carlisle and Esme adopted me when I had just turned nine," he finally said.

I readjusted my position so that I rested my head on my hand and could see him clearly. "Did he hurt you?" I didn't need to clarify the fact that I was referring to his father.

Edward shrugged indifferently, though he grimaced, as if remembering. "My pain was nothing compared to my mother's."

"So that's a yes," I murmured softly, not making it a question.

He shrugged again, not looking at me.

"Edward," I said, turning his head to face me, "That horrid man is gone now. He can't hurt you. I won't let him."

He laughed bitterly, the both of us getting up into a sitting position. "You'd be a Barbie doll to him," Edward said, and I felt a twinge of defeat at the fact that he was probably right. "He'd easily strangle you to death, like he did to my mom," Edward said softly, pulling me onto his lap as I began to stroke his cheek. He looked at his hand for a moment. "I get my temper from him," Edward said, sounding disappointed. "In fact, I'm a spitting image of him."

He said the last part with such disgust that my hand stopped, and I stared at his hateful expression.

"He isn't the man you are," I finally said, tracing his lips with my index finger.

He took my hand from his lips and held it, his other hand playing with my curly hair.

"How do you know that?" Edward asked, his eyes boring into mine.

"Based on what you've told me," I said, "You're father isn't sweet or kind like you are. He isn't loving, or gentle. And I know you wouldn't hurt me, or any other female for that matter."

The hand lost in my hair froze, and he immediately tensed.

"I threw a lamp at Alice," he admitted softly.

"I know that," I replied, inhaling his sweet scent.

"Aren't you scared?"

"No. You were thirteen."

"It was conveniently close by, and I was angry. I was an idiot for throwing it."

"You aren't one now," I said.

His lips twitched. "But I could change."

"But you won't," I answered confidently.

We stared at each other for a long moment, and then I said, "Edward, seriously. You're amazing," I confessed. "And your dad isn't going to touch you, or me, for that matter. Besides, if he ever dares to, I took tae kwon do. I'll kick his ass."

His lips formed a teasing smile, though the wariness was still evident in his eyes. "Since when does the girl protect the guy in the relationship?"

It was probably a rhetorical question, but I answered anyway. "Are you questioning the female population?" I said indignantly, glaring at him. But inside, I was happy that the conversation switched to a somewhat brighter topic, and that Edward was grinning at me, all traces of wariness gone. He shrugged, and I smacked his shoulder. "You sexist!"

"It's not nice to call people names, Bella," he scolded.

"Sexist," I repeated stiffly, narrowing my eyes at him. "We females can do anything males can. And we're very _strong._"

"Strong?" Edward asked, quirking an eyebrow and staring at me with a highly amused expression. "How so?"

I listed them off with my fingers. "We deal with shitty high heels, long floor-length dresses that are easy to trip in, uncomfortable lacy stuff, eye liner, mascara, super tight skinny jeans, and sometimes-hard-to-put-in tampons. I don't see_ guys _walking around with this sort of agony," I said seriously.

Edward stared at me for a long moment, looking motionless and statue-like. And then he burst into loud, musical laughter, his chest shaking with each of his laughs. It was then that I realized the stupidity of my own statement, and I joined in with his laughing.

As soon as I regained my un-laughing composure, Edward gently grabbed the back of my head and brought his lips to mine, the small hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. His grin was infectious, because I was smiling like an idiot. Again. My heartbeat went whacko and thudded unsteadily, proving just how excited, flushed, and nervous I was simultaneously. I buried my fingers in the soft strands of his hair, sighing contently when I felt the softness of the blanket touch my back.

I tore my lips from his, trying to catch my breath again. Only Edward could make me feel all schoolgirl-like and happy. He smiled at me, his green eyes radiant even though a shadow covered his gorgeous face.

He kissed me chastely one more time before laying down next to me, pulling me gently into his arms. I did one of my automatic reflexes – I buried my face in the crook of his neck, inhaling the sweet scent of him. Edward chuckled and stroked my hair again, the sweet gesture calming and serene.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything," Edward said, sounding much more buoyant and cheerful than before, "but why do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?" I mumbled against his skin.

"Sticking your face in my neck."

How blunt. I could feel my cheeks turn hot, and I stuffed my face even deeper into his neck to hide my tomato head. "Because…" I said nervously, feeling my cheeks flush even more. Oh, God, kill me now. This is utterly embarrassing. "You smell good."

Edward's chest rumbled with his soft laughter, and he pulled me closer to his chest. I instantly wrapped my other arm around his body.

Edward kissed the top of my head, and then inhaled deeply. I could feel the smile forming on his lips.

"You smell good too, Bella," he said, laughing.

"Just curious," I said, once I'd gotten over my mortification. "Err…what do I smell like?"

_Not raw fish, not old socks, not a gym locker…_

"Strawberries," Edward said against the top of my head. "Mixed with a dash of freesias."

I giggled. "I use strawberry shampoo, but where you got the freesias, I don't know," I said.

He chuckled, and then said, "Just curious. What do _I _smell like?"

Good question. "Hmm…"

"Bella, I answered your question."

"I know," I confessed, trying to come up with a scent for him. "You smell sweet, I guess," I said. "Not super sugary, like cinnamon, but not too bland. Just sweet. But whatever it is, I like it. A lot."

Edward laughed and began to run his fingers through my curly hair again, working out the small knots and tangles here and there, and I sighed, perfectly content.

Suddenly, the sound of a ten-second count down filled my ears, and Edward and I sat up, glancing around curiously.

"Eight...seven…" Edward murmured, looking at his watch. "Six…five…four…"

I grinned. "…three…two…"

"ONE!" The name of the number rang through the air from all around us, clear as glass, followed by cries and shouts of "Happy New Year!"

A booming noise abruptly filled my ears, and fireworks shot quickly and lithely into the dark sky. The blackish sky instantly illuminated, looking bright and colorful in stark contrast to how it was before. It was breathtaking to watch. Green…red…gold. Almost every color I could imagine seemed to glow in the night.

"Nearby neighborhoods and amusement parks," Edward whispered into my ear before placing a lingering kiss on my cheek. "Everyone loves fireworks."

I nodded dazedly as I watched the colors fade, only to be replaced by others being fired into the air. The excitement brewing in the buoyant atmosphere was infectious, and I smiled happily. A new year, and new beginnings.

Edward nuzzled his face into the side of my neck, my skin burning wherever his lips touched. He inhaled deeply, and then murmured into my ear, "Happy New Year, Bella."

I turned to look at him, and his eyes opened, revealing green orbs filled with wonder, curiosity, and…love? I was momentarily lost in the thought, knowing this contradicted with my philosophies. Love? I repeated in my mind. Nah, can't be. Too soon. There's something wrong with me.

I snapped out of my thoughts and grinned at him.

Edward returned my smile, and we shared our first kiss of the New Year.

--  
**happy 2009! even though its april! :D :D :D :D**

**sigh. well. hope you liked it. and next chapter is when we get back down to business...stuff will happen. haha! and the whole alice hating edward will eventually be explained in much more detail, once all the facts are laid out. i think. plus, alice has been lacking in the story right now, so she'll come back with jasper. and lauren. and some other people when i decide who. xD  
**

**anyway, DROP A REVIEW! :D**


	23. Edward's Effects

**okay first of all, i know there is no way im finishing this story by the end of this week.**

**secondly, this story is gonna be more than 25 chapters. itll probably be like 26 or something. but still.**

**and thirdly, yeah. little drama in this chapter, little fluff, little of everything. and then hardcore stuff happens next chapter, and the one after it. this chap was originally longer, but i cut it short and moved the second part to the next chapter. so anyway, hope you like! **

**review :D**

--

**CHAPTER 22 – Edward's Effects**

I dropped my backpack onto the cafeteria floor and took my usual seat at the table, picking numbly at my plate of fried beef and steamed rice. I was bummed out because school had resumed, which meant more crap to deal with. It meant I would run into Tanya and Lauren and Jessica in the halls much more often than before, something I wasn't exactly happy about. And then there was the issue with the seating arrangement, as follows…

"Hi, Bella!" Alice said happily, gracefully taking her place next to me on the bench.

Jasper smiled, waved, and sat down on her other side, both of their hands intertwined. Alice began her cheerful chatter, something about the messed up economy, which had Jasper completely engrossed. Whether it was Alice or the actual subject that reeled him in, I wasn't sure.

Rosalie and Emmett came in next, looking disheveled. Rosalie was straightening out her short denim skirt, blindly fixing her wavy blond hair and makeup. Emmett was fixing his own shirt, also trying to tame down the tousled, messy look of his curly brown hair. Obviously, they'd done a little one-on-one action, which I did _not_ want to know about.

Rosalie plopped down on my other side, followed by Emmett.

"Hey, Bella," she said as Emmett went up to get them both food. "Just a salad for me, honey!" Rosalie called to Emmett's back.

I heard boisterous laughter and watched as he nodded and got in line.

"I would ask you what you did," I started, "but I'm not sure I want to know."

Rosalie patted my head. "Wise choice, young one."

I laughed as she continued, "Is my hair okay?"

"Your hair is fine," I answered, rolling my eyes as I took a sip of coke.

And then it dawned on me.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I shrieked at Jasper, pointing an accusing finger at him.

He jumped and moved his gaze from Alice's face to mine. "Pardon?" I could hear a little Texas twang in his voice.

"You –" I said, just as Emmett sat down again, his mouth already stuffed with food. I gasped at Emmett, my index finger abruptly trained on his face. "Y_ou_!" I gaped hysterically, pointing at the burly senior that was Rosalie's boyfriend.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking perplexed.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked.

"If you mean the cafeteria, Bella, they're here to eat like everyone else," a voice said. I immediately recognized it – the silkiness, musical voice I loved – but the tone was sneering and laced with a hint of sarcasm.

I glanced at Edward, who held his own tray of food. He winked at me, subtly nudged his head in Alice's direction, and sat down across from me.

"And you!" I gasped.

"Yes, it's me," Edward said.

"Why are you guys sitting here?" I asked, looking over at Jacob's table. "You guys should be –"

Eric, Tyler, and Mike were sitting at Jacob's table, along with Lauren, Heidi, Jessica, and Tanya. Tyler and Jacob were perched on the table in the far corner of the room, near the back wall. Lauren sat near Jacob's legs, glaring over at Rosalie. Jessica was hissing something to Tanya under her breath, but Tanya wasn't even looking at her. Tanya was looking at me. And then Eric and Mike were chatting with Heidi, looking absolutely normal.

"We've been replaced," Emmett declared nonchalantly, once again stuffing his face with food.

"Is that so?" Alice asked impassively, her eyes suddenly trained on her brother. Her face was completely unreadable. "Why has Edward been replaced?" She looked at Rosalie, Emmett, and I. "Surely he's still a player, and he's still damn arrogant. He should be over there, with the rest of them."

Edward and Alice stared at each other, and I could almost see the electric line that zapped between their heads, crackling threateningly. Edward looked like a statue carved from stone, as did Alice, but their eyes were so intense that the tension between them seemed to infect all of us.

Jasper cleared his throat uncomfortably, putting a light hand on Alice's shoulder. He murmured something into her ear, and she visibly relaxed and smiled up at him.

Edward looked down at his food again, moving his fork around the plate, but not really eating. Rosalie, Emmett, and I just stared at the two of them, dumbfounded.

"So," I began, trying to kill the uncomfortable atmosphere. I glanced at Edward, trying to find the courage to sneer at him like we did before. "I know what a cafeteria is for. I was only wondering why you guys weren't sitting over there." Wow, it felt so wrong to be mean. And the statement I said wasn't even that intimidating.

In normal circumstances, I would have agreed with Alice and snapped at Edward about his arrogance or whatever, but since it wasn't the case, I kept my mouth shut.

Edward brought back that cocky smile I grew familiar with. "We've moved on to bigger and better things."

"Bigger and better?" I asked.

He nodded, looking at me with a twinkle in his eye. "People here are much better than people over there," he said, nodding his head in Jacob's direction.

"Wow, you're actually being honest."

"I suppose I am," Edward answered. "But don't be too flattered, Bella. You're not the bigger and better."

He winked at me, and I quickly snapped at him to prevent my mind from lingering on his words, which nearly made me blush at the double meaning.

"You suck, Edward Cullen," I said.

"Your mentality is playing with you," he said, feigning disapproval. "I know you're physically attracted to me, but you're not willing to admit it."

I snorted. "_Please_. You're the last person I'd be physically attracted to."

"Are you sure about that?" a silky voice asked. This silky one was the one I dreaded hearing.

Edward turned around and he, along with me and everyone else, glared up at Tanya and Lauren.

"Because it seems that everyone is attracted to my Eddie over here," Tanya purred, leaning down so she was level with Edward and me.

"Hello, Tanya," Edward said stiffly, his eyes once again locked on his food.

"Edward," she said, watching my reaction to her closeness.

"Mallory," Rosalie sneered to Lauren.

"Swan," Lauren answered in her nasally voice. "I'm sorry that you got stuck with these SOB's." She looked around at Emmett, Edward, and Jasper. I felt a flare of anger.

"I'm sorry that you're such a bitch," Rosalie said indifferently.

Tanya ran a hand through Edward's hair, making it even messier and tousled than before. She did it over, and over, and over again, watching my reaction with an amused expression. I kept my face indecipherable, but my hand was gripping the chopsticks so tightly that I could almost feel the wood snapping beneath my fingers.

"Tanya," I said stiffly while Lauren, Rosalie, and Emmett bickered back and forth at each other. "Why don't you go over to Newton over there? I can tell he's dying to see you." I really wanted her to leave.

"Aw," Tanya said, jutting out her bottom lip. "Is Swan here just a little jealous of me?" She yanked on Edward's hair just to prove a point. He grimaced.

I forcibly laughed. "Jealous? Why would I be jealous?" I carefully avoided my gaze from fixing on Edward, because I knew I would snap.

"Bella isn't jealous of anything," Alice chimed, causing Tanya to turn her gaze onto Alice.

"Well, if it isn't Mary," Tanya sneered, smiling deviously. "Oh, Jazziekins, it's like you've gotten demoted or something. Was Heidi not good enough for you that you had to go for a bitch like her?" She nodded her head at Alice.

Jasper was the only remotely calm (and mature) person at the table, and didn't respond. Instead, he put his arm around Alice's shoulder and kissed her inky hair, proving that he was well on our side.

Alice, on the other hand, looked as tense as I did, and Edward was glaring up at his ex-girlfriend.

Tanya snickered, still looking at Jasper. "You throw away girls like trash."

"You treat guys like trash," I automatically retorted.

Tanya tore her gaze from Jasper to lock with mine. "High school relationships are pointless. Everyone knows they don't last."

"I don't think so," Alice said, her hand once again laced with Jasper's. "Maybe a relationship for you, Tanya, doesn't last because you're such a slut. But for nicer people, like me and Bella, relationships can last for a while."

"Please," Tanya snickered, rolling her eyes, "You're such a naïve, retarded person, Mary. I feel terribly sorry for Jasper."

"And I feel sorry for Mike," I snapped. "Poor guy has to deal with you."

"Swan, I hold a relationship with him better than I did with Edward," Tanya hissed. "Because my Eddiekins here" – she rested her palms against the table and leaned towards me, her eyes narrowed – "is unfaithful, disloyal, and a complete and arrogant_ asshole_."

The chopsticks in my hand snapped in half.

"You don't know a damn thing," I hissed menacingly. I was fully aware of the fact that everyone was now watching us, but Tanya and I kept our voices low enough for no one but us to hear.

"I know every damn thing," she retorted conceitedly. "Edward doesn't belong with someone like you. You're ugly, useless, and sensitive. Edward will hurt you and break you once he's done playing. He thinks he likes you, but he doesn't know what he's missing. He'll move onto someone else, or come crawling back to me."

I was stunned to silence for a moment. "Since when do you care about my relationship with him?"

"So you guys are dating."

"We're not dating." _Lie._

"Is that so?" she asked mockingly, backing away. The look on her face told me she didn't believe me. We glared at each other for a moment, and then she did something that surprised all of us. She turned to Edward and roughly planted a wet, sickening kiss on his lips.

"Oh shit," Rosalie murmured, loud enough for only me to hear. Her hand found my shoulder, as if expecting me to leap up and kill Tanya any moment, which was exactly what I wanted to do.

Edward grimaced, and his hand found hers, which was on his cheek. He seemed to attempt to claw her away, but Tanya held tight.

"Tanya – " he grunted, but she ignored him and kissed him again, even harder. I clutched the broken chopsticks so tightly I was almost sure I got splinters in my palm.

It seemed like hours, but was really only seconds, when Tanya finally pulled away, looking at me smugly.

"Wow, Eddie," she purred dramatically, once again curling her fingers into his hair. "You're just as hot as you were before. A little reluctant, but I know that can be fixed."

Edward looked astonished for a moment, and then he glared at her and opened his mouth to say something.

"Get the hell out," Rosalie said, cutting him off.

"Oh, look, Tanya," Lauren sneered. "Mamma Rosey is back."

Rosalie was up and out of her seat in an instant, glaring at Lauren. She snapped something at her, but I wasn't listening.

Edward and I stared at each other.

He looked awfully guilty, glanced to my right, and quickly looked away.

Alice was watching us suspiciously.

And then the bell rang.

-------o-------

Alice and I walked to biology together. She didn't ask anything, thankfully, but I kept up conversation about shopping, something I knew would distract her.

Sometime during the lesson, Edward's hand found mine under the table, and I grinned when his warm fingers laced through mine, immediately relaxing. We held hands for the entire class, except for the occasional time where he or I had to write something down on the worksheet.

We went our separate ways to our final classes of the day. Alice and I – well, mostly Alice – pwned at volleyball, and she did several overhand serves and fantastic bumps and sets.

I managed to trip and nearly killed the girl next to me.

After school, Alice and Jasper went out to grab a bite to eat, so Edward walked me back to my dorm. While we walked, we didn't speak much, just walked side by side, not hand-in-hand.

At one point, I wanted to take his hand. I really did. And then prove to the world that Edward Cullen was dating Isabella Swan. I would finally be something. Rosalie was important no matter who she dated. She had reputations everywhere she went. She was either valedictorian, or the Queen Bee, or the big slut at school. It didn't matter. She was _something._ And I wanted to be too.

It wasn't as if I was using Edward, because the thought of being popular hadn't struck me until now. I really did like him, because he was sweet and perfect in every way. Simultaneously, I wanted to prove to everyone – including Alice – that Edward wasn't a player. Of course, at one point he went from girl to girl indifferently, but I knew that he'd changed. I wanted Alice to understand that. And I wanted Tanya to back the hell away from him.

"I'm sorry, Bella," Edward murmured softly, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Huh? Oh, yeah."

"What did Tanya say to you?" he asked sadly, the back of his hand brushing against mine. My fingers tingled, wanting to grab onto him and never let go.

"She said nothing," I said, looking straight ahead as her words rang through my mind_. "Edward doesn't belong with someone like you. You're ugly, useless, and sensitive. Edward will hurt you and break you once he's done playing._ _He thinks he likes you, but he doesn't know what he's missing. He'll move onto someone else…"_

Was it true?

God, I hope not. I honestly didn't think I could take the rejection.

"Bella – "

"Drop it," I said.

He flinched at my harsh tone, but we both stepped into the elevator.

"I'm sorry," I sighed, glaring at the numbers in the display screen. I was glad it was only us the two that were in it, and no one else, like Tanya. "Really, Edward, I'm sorry." I gripped onto his hand, mesmerized by the way our hands fit together so perfectly. "I'm just miffed that she kissed you."

He sighed and kissed the top of my head. "I know," he answered. "I didn't want to physically hurt her," he admitted. "But Bella" – he grabbed onto my shoulders and forced me to face him – "I didn't enjoy any second of it, alright? Her kisses are nothing like the ones we share."

I stared into his green eyes for a moment, trying to decide how true it was. His eyes seemed to plead with me to understand.

I nodded just as the doors opened.

Edward planted a quick kiss on my mouth and took my hand again, and we walked down the vacant hallway that led to my dorm. The gold heart dangled out from underneath my sleeve, and Edward chuckled, holding up my hand.

We were outside my dorm by now.

"I like it," I said, answering his unasked question as I watched him dreamily. "I wear it everyday."

He smiled at me, and I found myself swooning at his perfection. "Thank you, Bella," he murmured, gently kissing my wrist. "My mom would have loved to meet you, you know," he said, tenderly kissing the tip of my nose.

"I think she'd have liked that," I said. "I think I'd have liked it too."

Catching the crooked grin on his face, I giggled and pressed my lips firmly against his.

He pulled back first, causing me to pout. Edward only laughed and kissed my nose, rubbing light circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. His other hand found its way into his hair, tousling it even more.

"Bella," he said nervously, "I know we both know this, but I want to make it official."

I nodded, staring at him curiously.

He scratched the side of his head, suddenly turning into the adorable, four-year-old toddler again. I giggled when his pale cheeks flushed a light pink. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

I didn't even hesitate to answer. "Yes," I said, smiling widely at him. My heart raced excitedly in my chest.

He looked at me for a moment, and then my favorite crooked grin was back.

-------o-------

Several uneventful weeks went by, and Rosalie, Alice, and I barely met up with the guys. It wasn't as if we didn't want to – we were just too busy. The piles of homework seemed to increase, and the hours we spent sleeping decreased like hell. The school had bad authorities, but the teachers still knew pretty well how to put a teenager under stress.

There were group presentations, solo presentations, tests, quizzes, math problems, Spanish stuff I didn't get half of, and for Rosalie, just a wait for college responses.

"Lawyer!" Rosalie declared enthusiastically when Alice asked what she planned to be. "I want to major in law and order and stuff like that. Emmett totally supports me."

"Law sounds awesome," Alice commented. "You'll be rich." She winked at Rosalie as I nodded in firm agreement.

Then I sighed and stared down at my mug of coffee. "I'm too young to be inhaling caffeine," I moaned. "I'm only seventeen. What do I do?!"

Alice patted my back reassuringly. "It's okay, Bella. I'm right here with you." She held up her plastic cup of Starbucks.

"Be glad you're not sulking on Monster," Rosalie retorted, holding up her can of energy drink. "This stuff will kill you." As if her statement meant nothing, she took a huge sip out of the can.

Alice shook her head, laughing. "Did Blake get you hooked? God knows Monster is addicting."

Rosalie nodded her head sadly. "Unfortunately."

Valentine's Day flew by like a breeze. Despite the fact that the holiday was a day full of love and all that stuff, the teachers didn't seem to give a crap about it. They assigned another load of projects and reports to prepare, so Edward, Alice, and I were booked the whole weekend. Edward and I had a presentation together for biology, because Mr. Banner had insisted on the presentation buddy being your lab partner. We planned to meet up on Valentine's Day, hang out, and do our project to get it over with. I had a Spanish report I needed to do on Spain's culture and religion. No time to waste.

For Valentine's Day, Edward gave me a heart-shaped box of Godiva chocolates and a white teddy bear, which I found awfully adorable. It had red ears, a red nose, and red paws. The little arms held a plushy heart, which had "I love you" written across the front in elegant white writing. Plus, I love Godiva chocolate, so I didn't complain, although I did get miffed when I realized just how expensive the chocolate was.

Edward only shrugged it off.

And then I gave him a book full of just measure after measure for him to record his music compositions, which I fully supported. He took it gratefully, as well as the forty-dollar iTunes gift card I offered. That way, he could load his iPod with more songs that he didn't have CDs for. We spent the day doing our biology project and talking about random stuff. He managed to make the project seem almost…romantic. I'd give him credit for that.

Drama was....well, drama. Tanya sneered occasionally at me. Well…not occasionally. More like every chance she got. And I snapped right back at her, not daring to show just how intimidated I was by her presence. She and I became like Lauren and Rosalie, bickering back and forth and back and forth.

I knew that she knew that Edward and I were dating, but what freaked me out most was the idea of how. How did she know? Well, okay, it wasn't too inconspicuous, I suppose. Edward and I, day by day, grew more and more public. To the average outsider who knew nothing whatsoever, our occasional hands brushing when passing through the halls and our constant conversations would have seemed normal. But no.

Each day, it grew harder for me to be away from him. We held hands under the lab table in biology, where no one could see. At lunch, he would sit across from me, and we'd frequently look up from our food to surreptitiously smile at each other. And Edward snagged every chance he got to walk me back to my dorm, kissing me sweetly every time before leaving. We didn't meet up like before, but the little things that occurred in the halls and in the classes were good enough for me.

And I was freaking falling in love with him.

I knew it. Rosalie knew it. Hell, I bet Tanya knew it too.

I was so screwed up with my schoolwork, and then the constant worry and question of my feelings were fatigues I couldn't seem to escape. I felt like combusting with all the pressure that weighed down on my shoulders.

I even daydreamed more often, not really paying attention to class like I usually did. My mind floated off to fantasies of Edward and I together in Paris, France, having the time of our lives together. Sometimes it would be him and I hanging out at his dorm, mulling and talking over slices of pizza. And the other times, he'd be singing to me again, and I'd sink into the watery depths of his musical voice. I hadn't exactly realized the gravity of the situation until I was caught zoning out during Ms. Meyers's history lesson. And then I had to keep doing a problem over and over again in trigonometry because I zoned, lost my place, and had to start over. And finally, in PE, I got smacked in the back of the head with a soccer ball. Twice.

Yep. Edward had his effects.

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**build up. :)**

**and i hope you understand why they're very secretive of their relationship. one person knows, the whole school think up other reasons. dun feel like explaining xD**

**and so yeah. alice has big part inthe next chapter or so, so hang in there readers! thanks for your support! i got to 400 reviews :D thanks so much!**

**now, drop a review please :D**


	24. Alice Cried

**this is probably the crappiest, stupidest chapter on the site. seroiusly people. i screwed up on this one so much, it isnt even funny. it goes around in circles and gets really confusing, and then in the end, it gets nowhere. trust me man. it aint good, and i wish i couldve made it better. i just didnt know how, and i eventually gave up. x_x lotta dialogue in this chap.  
**

**and btw, i added some details to the other chapters. you dont need to flip, just know that edward and bella are boyfriend/girlfriend and that the bracelet he gave her belonged to his mother. thats all i really added lol.  
**

**anyway, when and if you drop a review, please dont be too mean. i know how bad it is, and i want to get the next chappy up asap to make up for this crappy one. thanks guys.  
**

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**CHAPTER 23 – Alice Cried**

"I love you, Bella," Edward said, stroking my cheek tenderly.

I could feel my cheeks become red hot, my heart swelling with love for him. His eyes were so beautiful, as were the features of his flawless face. His strong hands held onto mine, and I melted into his embrace like I always did.

"I love you, too, Edward," I whispered. I had actually intended for it to be louder, but my throat seemed to have an immovable lump stuck in it.

The day had come. All this time, all this second guessing was irrelevant. Edward was mine and no one else's, just as I was his. He loved me, I loved him, and I couldn't be any happier.

He kissed me tenderly, and I kissed him back, pouring all of my emotions into it. Love, passion, mostly love. Edward was my everything, and I was almost sure of it by now. I'd told him, and everything had become perfect.

I pulled away and buried my face in the crook of his neck, blushing furiously. Sighing contently, I inhaled his sweet scent.

Except it wasn't sweet.

It smelled a lot like coffee, actually, and I scrunched my nose up in distaste. I sniffed again, and my nose wrinkled even more. I was abruptly jolted awake when something cold and wet contacted my arm, and I shrieked and jumped back, only to bang my back against the couch behind me.

First of all, I spilled my cold coffee.

Second of all, I wasn't daydreaming. I was dreaming.

And third of all, I needed to clean up the mess I made when I apparently knocked over my cup.

I sighed, trying to ignore the bubble of disappointment in my stomach as I trudged into the kitchen to dump the cup in the sink. I rinsed off my arm with a wet towel and cleaned up the mess I made on the coffee table. It was a good thing that there wasn't much coffee left in the cup.

I ran a hand through my hair, yanking my fingers through the knots and tangles and yawning wearily. I hadn't gotten much sleep, and as I checked the time, I realized it was almost seven o'clock in the evening. Alice was out with Angela, Ben, and Jasper, while Rosalie was with Emmett. I was all by myself doing my stupid _Beowulf_ report, which was due the following Monday.

To add to my daydreams were my actual dreams, the ones I had when I fell asleep (obviously). Whenever Edward walked me back to my dorm or we chatted over the phone and everything, I wanted to tell him so badly that I love him. I hadn't even spoken to Rosalie about it yet. She was busy with stress over college acceptances, and I didn't want to bother her with my problems.

Actually, one time, when we were talking on the phone in whispers, Edward told me good night, and it went a little like this…

"Good night, Bella." His silky voice traveled through the phone and into my ear, making me swoon.

"'Night, Edward," I said, yawning as I lay back on the bed.

He'd chuckled. "Go to bed, love. You're tired. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"'Kay," I mumbled, already disoriented. "G'night. Love you."

And then I hung up. It wasn't until the next morning that I realized I'd said it. Edward never mentioned anything about it, and I wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad about that fact.

He was always on my mind, and at random times without him I would wonder what he was doing, who he was with, whether he was okay or not, whether or not he was thinking about me just like I was thinking about him…

Snapping out of my reverie, I tried to work on my report for English, but the stupid writer's block was no help at all.

Around ten minutes later, the door of the dorm opened, and I didn't need to look up to know it was Alice.

"Hey, Alice," I called, giving one last hopeless glance at the screen before looking at the entrance. "How was your – "

I froze when I saw her.

I mean, she wasn't covered in cake and food like last time – her clothes were perfectly normal. What caught my attention were her red, bloodshot eyes and the remnants of tears on her pale cheeks. She ignored me, tossed her schoolbag carelessly onto the floor, and plopped down next to me on the couch.

"TGIF," she said glumly, her quiet sniffles ringing throughout the room.

I disregarded my assignment and turned to face her, giving her a worried expression.

"Ali, what happened?" I asked.

She shook her head and sighed, her bottom lip jutting out in a small pout. "Tanya was being mean to me again," she confessed, suddenly seeming like a four-year-old girl who'd just had her cookie stolen. "She and her clique of Gossip Girls told me that you were dating Edward."

I was careful not to change my expression.

"Really," I said, not making it a question.

She nodded anyway and sat down next to me, peering curiously at the screen. Half the Microsoft document was filled up, but I was about ready to delete the entire thing and start over again.

Alice sighed. "I don't believe them," she said, her voice firm with determination. Then she laughed humorlessly. "Tanya lies a lot. Besides" – she nudged my shoulder playfully – "I know you wouldn't do anything like that to me."

I bit my lip hard to keep from bursting into guilty tears.

Instead of responding, I just turned to my report and began typing again, not really thinking about what I wrote. My thoughts were far from what I was writing. Panicked, worried, and guilty notions were running around my head, squirming and causing me to feel nauseous.

Alice laughed again, her tinkling laughter silky and relaxing.

I looked at her from the corner of my eye and saw that she was shaking her head.

"The whole 'Mary' thing is getting old," Alice murmured. "You know, Tanya thinks she's all that, but she really isn't."

"That's what Lauren's entire group is like," I said, typing indifferently now for need of a distraction. I was too scared to look at her.

Alice shrugged. "I suppose so. But Lauren isn't even that bad, if you think about it. She's Queen – or she was – but that was only because of Jacob. The fact that Rosalie has now taken her place, it's strange," Alice said thoughtfully.

I nodded in agreement.

"I really hate that clique," she muttered, pulling her knees to her chest. She rested her chin on top of her knees and bobbed her head back and forth casually. "They keep mocking the people like Jackie and you and me. But if anyone holds a threat in that group, it's Tanya. Tanya can do so many vile things to you; you don't even want to know."

"Is that why you don't like Edward?" I blurted before I could stop myself. "Because he dated Tanya?"

Alice shrugged, and then nodded. "It's part of the reason. I'm mostly disappointed in him, you see. I'm not his mom or anything, but I know that Edward is better than that. Of all the girls at this school, he decides to date her. Tanya is a freaking witch."

I nodded in agreement to the last part. Tanya really was vindictive and highly aggravating.

"I bet she has a witch hat somewhere in her closet," Alice muttered, narrowing her eyes at nothing. "And then whenever Edward comes over, she puts it on and takes out her broomstick and whacks him in the head with it, therefore messing with his brain cells. Then she makes him drink this f-ing potion that makes his insides turn to mush, thus numbing his body, allowing her to do a bunch of disgusting, odd things to his limp figure that no one wants to know about." Alice gasped and looked at me. "I bet you her hair is green."

I stared at her blankly, trying to picture Tanya with green hair. Hah. I internally laughed at the mental image. "Yeah. Okay."

Alice glared at me, and I stifled a laugh.

"What's the other part?" I asked, getting back on topic.

"There are several parts, actually," she admitted with a weary sigh. "And they all add up to make me really, really not like him." She pursed her lips thoughtfully, and then gave an "UGH" noise that sounded both frustrated and annoyed. When she spoke, the words came pouring out of her mouth.

"He was so nice!" she exclaimed, looking at me with pleading, blue-green eyes. "Don't you see, Bella? Before he left for CP, he focused on schoolwork and…and _me. _I mean, besides drugs and bullying and all that, Edward respected women. And now look at him."

"Edward respects me," I said.

Alice shook her head in disbelief. "Edward doesn't respect anyone besides the guys in his group. He's arrogant, pigheaded, and thinks we women are toys."

"He does not," I retorted. "I mean, at one point he did, but I don't think so. Not anymore."

"Not anymore?" Alice asked incredulously. "Bella –" she stopped, and sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "He was everything to me, alright?" she finally said, her eyelids fluttering open. "And then when he left for boarding school, I missed him. I've told you this before. I abandoned my old life just to go to this school."

"What was your old life like?" I said.

"It was perfect!" Alice exclaimed. "Bella, I've told you all of this before," she reminded me again. "I was Queen. I had everything. I had friends, and family, and money. Everyone bowed down to me." Her tone sounded defeated and morose. "And then I come here, and my life becomes utter turmoil with Tanya and her clique of hoes."

I opened my mouth to say something, but she cut me off.

"And then my brother doesn't give a damn about me anymore," Alice added, her eyes glassy.

We stared at each other for a moment.

"I don't think so," I countered, trying to prove my point with hand motions. "Edward does care about you. You just need to let him."

Alice shook her head. "No."

"But isn't that why you came here?" I asked her, watching as her emotions went from hurt to confused to realization. "You came here to be with your brother again."

"But my brother has become an arrogant asshole!" Alice said angrily, the tears finally spilling over.

"He isn't arrogant," I explained, my voice rising just like hers did.

Alice stared at me, shocked. "Bella, not two weeks ago, you guys had another argument about stupid stuff. You even called him a 'conceited jerk'," she quoted, referring to one of my recent faux fights with Edward.

"I…" I trailed off, trying to find an excuse while Alice tried to control her heavy breathing.

"I'm sorry, Bella," she finally said. "I just really don't like what he's become. I feel like –"

She stopped talking, her eyes fixed on my left wrist, where the gold bracelet lay completely revealed.

Before I could do anything, she snatched my wrist up to examine the piece of jewelry.

"Where did you get this?" she asked, her voice devoid of any emotion.

"Rose gave it to me," I lied guiltily, trying not to let it show. "For my sixteenth birthday."

Alice scrutinized my expression for a moment, and then she examined the bracelet again.

"Nuh uh," she countered. "The bracelet was made a long time ago, Bella. There's a date carved onto a corner of the heart. 1984."

"I like antiques?" I tried.

Alice's brow furrowed, and she brought it closer to inspect it. "Huh. That's weird. I found a bracelet that looked exactly like this in Edward's room."

I didn't respond.

"When I asked him about it, he told me it belonged to his mother," Alice said. Her eyes darted up to meet mine, and I was biting my lip so hard that it was nearly bleeding. I tried to hide my guilt, but something must've given it away, because shock and hurt registered on Alice's face.

"Oh, my God," she said, dropping my arm and slowly standing up. She took a staggering step back. "It's true."

"Alice – "

"She wasn't lying."

"Ali, I can ex –"

"The witch wasn't lying."

"I'm s –"

"You idiot!" she shrieked. "Have I told you _nothing_?" Alice looked undeniably hurt, and tears spilled down her pale cheeks.

"Alice, listen –"

"You're just like all the other girls!" Alice yelled.

I immediately became defensive. "How am I like all the other girls?"

"I can't believe you," she said, ignoring my statement. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it was your brother and I knew you'd be mad," I answered.

"Oh," she shook her head violently, "I'm not mad, Bella. I'm _furious. _I am so furious right now that I am ready to cut you up into pieces and throw your parts out the window." I knew she was exaggerating, but her icy tone was threatening. "Have you learned nothing from what I've told you and from what has happened to all the other girls that dated him?" she asked.

"Edward's changed."

"No," she said. "That's what you think. Not what you know."

"So if he was different, then you'd be okay with me dating him?" I challenged.

"Yes," she answered. "But he isn't different, now is he?"

"You don't know that!" I retorted, having the urge to defend him. "Edward isn't cheating on me."

"Yet," she said immediately. "He isn't cheating on you _yet._"

"Alice, you can't tell me who to like."

"You're right," she said. "Because then, I can let you suffer the damn consequences."

"Edward isn't going to hurt me." Right?

"Are you psychic?" Alice asked me. "No, you're not. So you don't know what you're saying."

"I know exactly what I'm saying." My voice was sure, but the little voice in the back of my head was actually contemplating Alice's words. I knew she could be right – the possibility was definitely potential. "Alice, I need you to tell me straight out what the hell is wrong with me dating Edward." Honestly, I couldn't find anything wrong with it. I mean, I did love him after all. So I guess it was slightly biased.

"Straight out?" she confirmed. "Alright, I'll tell you – straight out. One, Edward can be very conceited and stuck up."

"He isn't full of himself."

She ignored me and moved on. "Two, he uses us females. One day he'll have you, the next he'll have Tanya, and the next it's that poor Brooke girl from biology."

"He isn't cheating."

Once again, Alice ignored me. "Three, he's going to hurt you, Bella. He'll get sick of you and move on."

"That's the same thing as the second reason," I retorted.

"Nuh uh," Alice snapped. "You'll be devastated when he dumps you completely. He wont be sneaking behind your back anymore; he'll straight out dump you and let you mope and wallow. The guy doesn't know what the hell love is."

"He knows about love better than I do," I hissed defensively, my mind flashing back to the conversations we had together. "And he broke up with Tanya because he likes _me_." The words sounded proud and slightly conceited.

"Right _now,_" Alice said. "He likes you right _now._ But what about three weeks from now, Bella?" she asked. "You might not even be together anymore."

"You are just like Tanya," I said acidly. "She told me exactly what you did. But I didn't believe it then, and I don't believe it now. You guys don't know Edward enough to judge him."

"He's a freaking womanizer, Bella."

"He was," I said firmly. Then I shook my head. "Not anymore."

"And he can easily slip back into his old ways. I wouldn't trust him if I were you."

"You never trusted him," I snapped angrily. "From the moment I came here and saw you and Edward, all you guys did was glare at each other and call each other names."

She glowered at me, and I crossed my arms across my chest, huffing heatedly.

"You don't get it," Alice said in the midst of the silence. "You really don't get it."

"No, I don't," I growled. "Because you've really got me confused."

Alice sighed, rubbed her temples, and calmly sat down on the couch. She looked thoughtful for a minute, as if to formulate her sentences before actually saying them.

She sighed wearily. "I feel wasted," Alice said. "I want my brother back. At least when he was bullying people, he was still nice to me and still made me laugh with my purple teddy bear. He was just so different when I came here for junior year." She looked devastated.

"Different enough for you to hate him?" I asked.

Alice shook her head. "I just really don't like him. Not hate. I just don't like him."

I rolled my eyes. As if there really was a difference. "Then why don't you like him?"

"Many reasons," Alice told me matter-of-factly.

"Shoot," I said, waiting patiently.

She took a breath and listed them off with her fingers. "He hung out with Jacob's group, which is full of arrogant jerks, he dated that bitch, he cheated on that bitch, he wouldn't talk to me, he was a bastard to everyone who wasn't in his group, he walked the halls like owned the place, and hell, he even got drunk one time and nearly seduced a poor girl from my trig class!" Alice said, covering her face with her hands.

I replayed her list in my head and decided it was…quite long.

She sighed, mumbling something like "Maybe I hate him".

When she spoke again, her musical voice was cracked and quiet. "I mean," she muttered into her hands, "What's not to hate, Bella?"

I watched her motionless figure for a moment, my thoughts running wild. I felt terribly sorry for her, because I could see exactly what she was talking about. But at the same time, I think Edward deserved a chance.

"He's changed," I finally said, repeating what I'd mentioned over and over. "Besides, Jasper and Emmett changed. Why not Edward?"

Alice stared at me with bloodshot eyes. "I just don't trust him."

"And yet you trust Jasper and Emmett?" I gave her a skeptical look. "You haven't even known them for as long as you've known Edward."

Alice sighed, but didn't respond.

"Alice, you accept Jasper and Emmett so easily," I reasoned. "Why can't you accept Edward? There's nothing wrong with me being his girlfriend," I said. "And if he hurts me" – I grimaced at the thought of it – "then let me suffer."

"What kind of friend would I be then?" Alice said, scowling. "I'm supposed to watch your back."

"Screw that," I snapped. "I can handle myself, Ali." I sighed, trying to plead for her to understand. "I really like him, Alice. Why can't you see that?"

Alice shrugged, but gave no answer. "Edward was the worst of them all," she muttered. "He went from girl to girl over and over like it was perfectly normal. Jasper and Emmett had some limits, at least, but Edward went all-out like Jacob. Edward doesn't love me. He takes things for granted. He doesn't even talk to me."

"Then you talk to him," I countered. "I mean, we sit together at lunch, what –"

"Bella!" Alice groaned, exasperated. "Don't you see why I'm mad? I gave up _everything_ to be here with him like the good little sister I am, and then I come here and see this jerk! He was supposed to change for the better, you know that. And I want to go home so badly, Bella! I miss Carlisle and Esme," she said sadly. "But I can't leave. I can't leave you and Rose here. That's like a crime."

"Alice, if you miss your parents, you should go home."

"Home is here," Alice snapped, looking slightly offended. "Home is Central Parkway Boarding School, and it's going to be for the rest of my junior year."

I was astonished by the amount of determination laced in her voice, and the strong wave it elicited.

"Edward," Alice began, "will easily slip back to Tanya, or any other girl for that matter. Like I said, Tanya's vile. She can do so many things, and the next thing you know, Edward isn't yours anymore."

Once again, her words rang through my head over and over. I knew they were very possible, and I knew that I wouldn't take the rejection well. I loved Edward, and if fighting for him was needed, than fine. Tanya can go crawl into a hole and die. Regardless, Alice had a point. It was very, very possible, what with Tanya hanging around and all. But didn't I have to trust Edward? I had to trust him to be faithful and loyal to me. Unlike Tanya, I didn't believe in short relationships for high school. The relationships didn't need to be lifetime ones, but they needed to be decent. And I knew that with Edward, we could get somewhere. I honestly, truly did.

"I love him," I said before I could stop myself.

"Don't!" Alice yelled. "He's a bastard - an easily persuaded one - can't you see that?"

"Apparently I'm blind!" I yelled back at her. "Because all I see is a sweet, loving, caring boy who likes me back and kisses me and cares for me. No one has ever done that to me before."

"I bet you," Alice muttered, "it's an act. I can't know for sure until I see Edward himself. But that might never happen, because the dude refuses to talk to me," Alice said.

She mumbled something like "not worthy" and stood up, scowling.

"Doesn't matter, anyway," Alice said stiffly, her back straight as a rod. Her eyes were icy as they bore into mine. "He doesn't like me, I don't like him, and there's nothing we can do about it."

"That isn't true."

"What's true anymore?" she yelled, the tears returning. "When Edward told me to stay away from him, at first I didn't believe it. And then, when I tried talking to him again, he just pushed me away like I was nothing!" she blurted, not even bothering to keep control anymore.

I stared at her, feeling my chest and stomach squirm and squish with guilt. Her usually calm and perky demeanor was gone and replaced with anguish, sadness, and fury.

" – told me he kissed Heidi, I didn't believe him at first. And then, it was true! It was so – damn – true!" she cried, frustrated as more tears spilled. "And I really thought that the fact that you and Edward were dating wasn't true either." She threw her hands up in exasperation. "I'm never right anymore."

"Alice, I'm really s –"

"Oh, one more thing," she said coldly, holding up a small finger to stop me. "I thought that you were my friend, Bella," Alice said, sniffling. "My _true_ friend. Like that Hannah Montana song. And _true_ friends tell each other everything." She glared at me. "Guess your definition is different from mine."

"I'm sorry, Alice!" I pleaded. I would get onto my knees and beg for her forgiveness if I needed to. "Alice! I'm - I'm sorry."

My best friend sighed warily, looking at me for a moment. Then she rubbed her red, puffy eyes, shook her head, and walked towards her bedroom.

"Alice, please – "

The door slammed shut.

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**the ending was fine, i guess. ehh. bad chapter, audrey. *bonks self on the head. and if you can pinpoint the many, many reasons why alice hates/doesntlike/ismadat edward, i'll give you a cookie for your birthday. After i eat the cookie. :D lol kidding. but seriously, they're there. just not very clearly shown. x_x theresjust a lot of reasons, and i tried to lay em all out. sorry if it doesnt make sense. one of the reasons why this chapter was a screw up.**

**review quickly so i can get up the next chapter! jk. but seriuosly, i promise that the next chapter is gonna be much better. and edward is in it! yay! xD**

**and yeah, i know alice was such a butt in this chapter. darn. xD dont worry, things get better. i hate unhappy endings :D  
**

**drop a review please.**


	25. Alice Laughed

**yay. i got to update xD sorry i keep updating at random times. :P and btw, your review guesses were so accurate. im so happy for yall. lol seriously. you guys literally got everything down, and all of that is shown in this chap, which i think is cute and takes the situation in a much calmer way, unlike the previous chap. youll see :D i hope you like!**

**and btw, im not updating at all for the rest of the week. i'll be busy, so see u next weekish! xD**

**review please :)**

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**CHAPTER 24 – Alice Laughed**

I hadn't even realized I was crying and bawling my eyes out until a pair of arms wrapped around me, and the familiar blond hair of my sister fanned in my face.

"Shh," Rosalie coaxed softly, rubbing soothing circles on my back. I hugged her back, grateful for her attention. Ah, what sisters are for. "Bella, it's okay," she assured me.

She said the words over and over again, trying to calm me down. Sometimes she'd hush me gently, and other times, she'd say, "She'll forgive you. She's Alice." I couldn't decide whether it was true or not. Like Alice had said, what's true anymore?

I wasn't sure what time it was, but my sobs eventually died down into just normal crying, tears slipping silently down my cheeks every now and then. My sister held me all the way through, stroking my hair gently and telling me stuff I eventually couldn't understand. I screwed up a lot, and at the moment, my hearing was pretty off too.

Somewhere in the midst of my silent crying, another pair of arms wrapped around me, and I lost myself in a pair of emerald green eyes that bore into my brown ones. He gently took me into his arms and carried me bridal style to my bedroom. When did he even get here? Even in my misery, I was slightly conscious of my outside appearance.

I probably looked like hell ran over me.

Great. I lost Alice, now I can lose my boyfriend. Fantastic.

Rosalie followed us into the bedroom, immediately turning herself to the closet to find me some clothing to wear. Edward had his arms around me while I sulked on the bed, wallowing in self-hatred and guilt.

He quickly returned after I'd changed into more comfortable clothing, and Rosalie gave me a quick blow-kiss before leaving the room and shutting the door, leaving us in privacy.

I buried my nose in the crook of his neck, and his strong arms tightened around me, pulling me closer to his chest. Edward's sweet scent was similar to a remedy, as were his steady, calm breaths.

"Thanks," I mumbled, my hand fisting around a corner of his shirt.

Edward didn't respond or seem to mind; he merely kissed the top of my head and lay us down on the bed. "Go to sleep, Bella," he murmured gently.

He didn't need to ask me twice.

-------o-------

I wasn't sure what time it was when I woke up, but all I knew was that it was still dark outside. Well, it seemed dark. My room didn't have any windows. I opened my eyes, ignoring the fact that my eyelids felt like ten-pound weights, and groggily adjusted my body to see the clock.

2:30 in the morning.

I fell back onto my pillow just as the previous night's events came rolling into memory. The next thing I knew, I was franticly feeling around the bed for Edward's lithe figure in the darkness of the room. I couldn't feel anything except the bed sheets beneath my fingers, and I tried to ignore the overwhelming disappointment.

Just when I was about to give up and just go to sleep again, I became aware of the voices outside my room. The dorm was deadly silent except for the two people speaking, so I could pinpoint some words, although not everything. I also knew the voices well – they belonged to two very important people.

"…so much, Alice…wouldn't do that to…"

The second voice was like wind chimes. "…Don't know, Edward. You've done it be…can't help it sometimes."

I ignored the protests of my tired legs and wearily crawled off the bed, landing painfully on the floor with a muffled 'oomph.' Apparently, I was closer to the edge of it than I thought.

I dragged myself across the floor towards the door of my bedroom and pressed my ear into the gap between the door and the floor, where a yellow light shone dimly. Laying there, I realized the voices were much louder and clearer than before. Edward and Alice were arguing in muted voices, but they were as loud as whispering could go.

" – best friend, Edward. Of course I care about her."

"It didn't look like it when I came here. She was bawling on the floor because of you."

"And I wasn't?" Alice hissed.

I didn't hear a response, so I assumed Edward shrugged.

I stifled a sigh and closed my eyes, trying to listen harder while letting my eyes rest. I mean, I was up along with Edward and Alice at odd hours in the morning.

"I don't understand why I can't date her, Alice. You can't control everything, you know," Edward murmured.

"I know I can't. But sometimes I wish I could."

"I'm no genie," Edward said, and I thought I heard a ghostly chuckle follow, "so I can't help you there."

It was quiet for a moment, and then tinkling laughter followed. I involuntarily smiled.

"Why do you hate me so much, Ali?" Edward asked.

"I don't hate you, I just don't like you," she said defensively. "I hate that girlfriend of yours."

"You mean Bella?"

"No, your other one."

I heard a sigh. "She's my ex, actually. I only have one girlfriend."

"Whatever. You're such a douche bag."

"Why thank you."

It was quiet again, and then hushed laughter followed, this time by two voices.

"I wish you could understand," Alice sighed. "Bella didn't seem to get it. And we all know she's smarter than you." Edward didn't have time to respond, because Alice continued, "Your ex-girlfriend is the start of all my problems. Well, usually."

Edward chuckled. "She was the start of all of mine, too, Alice."

"I wish she would go away," Alice muttered.

It was silent while they quietly ranted to themselves about the problems and issues of Tanya Dachelet.

"Why aren't we arguing?" Alice asked a moment later. But she laughed. "We're supposed to be mad at each other."

"Good point," Edward answered.

"I'm mad at you for many reasons."

"I'm mad at you for hurting Bella."

"I'm surprised you're even talking to me," she murmured. "I'm also surprised that you're not forcing me and Jasper apart."

"You love Jasper," Edward said, sounding like he actually believed it. "And Jasper loves you. I'm not tearing soul mates apart. I've learned that now."

"What else have you learned?"

There was a momentary pause. "That Bella's philosophy of love being impractical at a young age is wrong."

I snickered.

"What do you mean?"

"What I'm saying is that we've been together since Christmas," Edward said bluntly. I heard a tiny gasp, but Edward either didn't notice or didn't care. "Bella and I have talked about everything, Alice. Her thoughts and ideas on certain subjects are inexplicably riveting. She's even convinced me to oppose my own original thoughts on certain things, and we all know I'm a stubborn person."

"Of all things to say that you've learned, you tell me about Bella's philosophy," Alice said, giggling. "Wow, Edward."

I could almost imagine him shrugging. "She's always on my mind, so I figured why not say I learned something from her?"

"You learned something that opposes her."

"But that's just it, Alice," Edward said. "You and Jasper are completely and totally in love. Everyone can see that. You'd be an idiot not to be able to. And sometimes…" he trailed off, "sometimes I wish it could be that way with Bella and me."

My eyes snapped open, and the rate of my heartbeat picked up. I put a hand over my mouth to keep from squealing in delight. Does this mean he loves me?

It was quiet outside my bedroom while Alice seemed to be contemplating this statement. And I was thinking about it too.

The next words that Alice said shocked me. "You love her, don't you?" Amazingly, she didn't sound mad or anything. Just curious. Very curious.

"Another example of why she's wrong," Edward replied softly. "I do love her." He paused, seeming to hesitate, and then murmured, "I love her so, so much."

"Have you told her?" Alice asked gently, her voice simply curious like before.

I heard him sigh. "No. I'm afraid she won't feel the same way."

"You should tell her," Alice said, and my heart skipped a beat. "Tell her you love her. If anyone knows Bella, it's me. She'll be ecstatic to hear it."

"You think so?"

"I do. But listen to your instincts, Edward," Alice said wearily. "I've been wrong on a lot of things lately."

"Haven't we all?" Edward asked sarcastically.

Alice's light, tinkling laughter filled the air.

"You still haven't answered my first question," Edward murmured.

"What's that?"

"Why you dislike me."

Alice sighed. "I gave up everything, you know," she said. "I left behind my world of perfection and popularity to come here and see you. I thought things would be okay for me, because hey, I could make friends. And I did...of course I did," Alice murmured, as if trying to find the silver lining.

Edward laughed. "Bella was one of your firsts."

"Yes, she was," Alice replied. I could hear the smile in her voice. "She was one of my bests too, and she still is, despite the events of tonight. But anyway, I hadn't really planned to deal with people like Lauren and Jessica, and when I saw you with them, I just…" She trailed off uncertainly. "I thought you'd be better than that."

"I've done a lot of things wrong," Edward murmured, his silky voice full of regret. "Bella made me see that. She's made me see a lot of things."

There was an umpteenth silence, and Edward said, "What are you staring at?"

Alice laughed again. "You really have changed. Bella was right."

"She usually is, you know," Edward said, his voice swelling with pride. "She's my outlet to the crappy world we live in."

"Jasper is mine," his sister answered. Then she giggled again. "Wow, Eddie, we have a lot in common, if you think about it."

"Oh, Lord," Edward said sarcastically.

Alice's tinkling laughter died off, and she sighed. "I think…" she began softly, "I think I got mad at Bella because of jealousy." She sounded embarrassed.

"Really? Why?"

There wasn't a response, so I figured she shrugged. "You let her in so easily," she murmured. "You blocked me out, but let her in, and she got the connection that I wanted."

"You know I kept you out for the better."

"But I don't understand why. What's wrong with me joining 'your world'?"

"A lot of things," Edward admitted. "The first day you came to school, Lauren, Jessica, and Tanya were already talking about you behind your back. There wasn't a need to make it worse by you being with me. You know how Tanya is. At least you could make your own friends and wander off with a less chance of meeting her. It made sense at the time."

"Oh, okay. Then what about Bella? Did you not care?"

Edward sighed. "I wish I could explain that," he said remorsefully. "I'd intended to do exactly what I did to you – I told her to go away because drama is a dangerous thing."

"Well, we _are_ at CPBS," Alice said matter-of-factly.

Edward laughed softly. "Yes, we are," he concurred. "Apparently, I didn't do a very good job of keeping her away. I instinctively…fell for her…and then I guess I lost reason. My mind just told me to do anything to be with her, and eventually the attraction grew strong enough for Tanya to notice. And, well…"

"And then you guys broke up," Alice finished.

"Yeah."

Alice sighed. "Do you hate me?"

I heard a soft chuckle, and a shadow shifted, making the yellow lighting dark for a split second. "Alice, of course I don't," Edward murmured. "You're my sister. I love you."

Alice giggled. "Thanks. Hmm…I guess I love you too, big bro." It was silent, and the shadows shifted again. Abruptly, Alice muttered, "Agh, you smell like Bella."

"I know," Edward answered, sounding unmistakably proud. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"Hmm," Alice answered, laughing softly. Then she sighed, and the shadows shifted for a third time. "I really have been wrong lately," she confessed, more to herself then to Edward. There was a short silence, and then a soprano voice abruptly said, "Go."

"Huh? Go where?"

"Go back, Edward. Go back to her."

It was soundless, and I just knew Edward was staring at her in disbelief. I would have done the same thing.

"Don't look at me like that!" Alice hissed.

"I'm…sorry?" Edward said. "Not that I mind, but what's with the sudden change in heart?"

Alice sighed, sounding annoyed and frustrated. Whether it was at Edward or herself, I couldn't tell.

"Edward, I'm not stupid. You didn't give your mother's bracelet to her for nothing. She means a lot to you, and I can see that…along with all my other mistakes." She said the last part quietly, as if ashamed to divulge it. "It's late, and we're both tired. Sleep with Bella, she'll like it."

"Really?" His musical voice was instantly filled with excitement.

Alice laughed softly. "Duh. Go back to her. But I'm warning you, big brother. If I come in tomorrow and I find out that you've done some stuff to her unconscious body, I will have your head for dinner."

"Mmm, tasty," Edward teased.

Alice laughed again. "Go, Edward. I'm tired."

"Thanks, Alice. Really. This means so much to me."

"Yeah, yeah. Just shut up so we can go to bed," she said, half serious, half joking.

I heard a quiet murmur that was too low for me to hear, followed by major shadows blinking in the yellow light. I scrambled up off the floor – tripping over my foot in haste – and quickly got under the covers. I was able to turn onto my side just as the door opened quietly.

I attempted to control my breathing, trying to make it seem as if I was completely out. It didn't help that my heart was beating 100 beats a minute, and to add to that, I could feel Edward's eyes boring into my body, as if he knew I was awake. I didn't dare move, though.

Not a minute later, the other side of the bed shifted under his weight, and I felt Edward's arm drape comfortably around my waist, the heat of his arm soaking through my shirt. His hand came to rest lightly on my stomach. I groggily (like I was still asleep) flipped onto my other side so that I was facing his chest, and Edward chuckled as he brushed the hair out of my face.

He pulled me closer to him, and I reveled in the welcoming warmth of his body. No need for comforters when you have Edward. After tucking my head under his chin, he stroked my hair gently, his lips occasionally brushing against the top of my head. The steady rise and drop of his chest was oddly comforting.

Just when I was nearly unconscious, he murmured, "I love you, Bella."

_I love you too, Edward._

I wasn't sure whether I'd said it aloud or not. The point was that it was true.

-------o-------

The second time I woke up, I was comfortable, warm, and, well, comfortable. Edward's scent was all around me, and I snuggled even deeper into his warm chest. I was sure my hair looked like a haystack, but oh well. Edward wouldn't care. Right?

Hopefully.

After trying to fall back asleep again, which proved to be unsuccessful, I wearily opened my eyes. Edward was there watching me, looking like Adonis himself. His bronze-colored hair was messier than ever, but I didn't mind.

"Good morning," he said, a corner of his lips turning upward, his green eyes radiant.

I blinked several times, trying to register what the hell he was doing in my bed. Not that I'm complaining.

_Oh._ _I remember now._

A slow smile spread on my face. "Hi," I breathed shyly, burying my face in his neck to keep him from seeing my blush. I wasn't sure why I felt all embarrassed all of a sudden.

Edward chuckled and kissed the top of my head, and then he buried his nose in my hair. His warm, steady breaths separated the strands of hair and tickled the skin on the back of my neck.

"Tell me how horrid I look," I mumbled against his skin. "Actually" – I clutched myself even tighter to him – "don't."

He laughed quietly and clawed my fingers away from his shirt, forcing me to look at him.

"You look quite beautiful," Edward said, sounding sincere as his thumb traced my bottom lip.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I said, don't."

"But that was only if you looked 'horrid.' You don't look like that at all," Edward assured me. "You look beautiful."

In the morning? Well. Obviously this guy needed glasses or something.

Rather than bothering to counter him, I jumped off the bed, mumbled a quick "be right back," and disappeared into the bathroom.

Once in there, I realized how horrid I actually did look.

My hair was just one issue, looking as if I'd been chased through a forest and sticks and boughs pulled my hair in every direction. My eyes were red and puffy, though not as swollen as they could have been. A quick rinsing of the face would be fine. The clothes I wore were all wrinkled and creased, and I still had a tad of eyeliner smudged along my eyelid.

After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I poked my head out the door to find Edward sitting at my desk, flipping through my iPod. He looked up and smiled at me, pulling out an earphone.

"I'm gonna take a quick shower," I informed him, fully stepping out and wandering towards my closet. "You can go…umm…have breakfast or something?"

Edward laughed and shook his head. "Take your time, Bella."

I smiled gratefully at him and shut the door before turning on the shower. Despite the fact that I looked like crap, I honestly didn't want to go out and see Alice. Now that I think about it, it seemed that the whole Alice/Edward conversation was dream. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. After all, I was half-asleep when I'd crawled across the ground (unless that part was a dream too).

And yet it seemed so real – Edward telling Alice he loved me, Alice laughing, Alice allowing everything. I knew she wasn't my mother or anything, but she was my friend, and I had to respect her feelings.

I stepped out of the shower and slowly got ready, applying just a tad of mascara and eye shadow. Nothing too flashy.

I sighed and ran the brush through my hair several times, and then became slightly annoyed by how perfectly straight it looked. To make it less…straight…I ran my hand through it, messing it up a bit. Ah, Rosalie would be proud of me.

I turned off the light and exited the bathroom to find my bedroom empty.

Frowning, I entered the living room, and Edward and Rosalie were in the kitchen, chatting cordially with each other.

"Hey, Bells," Rosalie said, approaching me. "We have some muffins for breakfast. I stole them from the cafeteria." She jutted her thumb in the opposite direction, and then winked at me before disappearing.

I called a quiet "thanks" and then turned to Edward, who looked at me strangely.

"What?" I asked him, looking down at my outfit. I was wearing my favorite pair of blue skinny jeans and a blue shirt to match with it. Did I forget something? Like…a bra? I cocked my head to the side. Nope. I had everything. I think.

"Stunning," he murmured, suddenly behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, kissed my cheek, and the next thing I knew, the ground wasn't under my feet anymore.

I squealed for about a second before my butt came in contact with the kitchen countertop.

My eyes focused squarely on Edward's cocky face.

I gave him my best conceited look, too. "You said I was beautiful!" I accused, jabbing a finger into his chest and wincing when I realized just how hard his chest was. "I looked like crap."

Edward narrowed his eyes at me. "No, you looked beautiful, and you still do," he reassured me, tangling his fingers in my wet hair. "And right now, you also look…" He pursed his lips thoughtfully, "sexy."

Seriously. He finds me hot in a pair of jeans? Do I have a nice butt or something? Damn. Oh well. I guess a compliment is better than no compliment.

My face heated, but I tried to glare at him. Epic failure. "I'm really opposed to –"

He cut me off by kissing me fervently. Not that I minded; I easily allowed him access. After all, I love him. (My heart skipped a beat at the thought.)

We pulled apart at the same time, and Edward rested his forehead against mine, smiling warmly at me while his fingers were lost in my dark, damp hair.

"What are you opposed to?" he asked me breathlessly.

"Forgot," I muttered, chewing on the inside of my cheek.

"That's what I thought."

I narrowed my eyes at him, but kissed him again anyway, enjoying the warmth of his lips against mine.

"Of all places to make out, you choose the kitchen countertop."

I was so absorbed that my reaction was both mean and mortifying. I pulled back and shoved Edward away at the same time, and he staggered back a couple steps with a startled expression.

Alice leaned against the side wall, watching us with a smirk that reminded me a lot of Edward's. She was fully dressed and looked gorgeous as ever, her inky hair sticking up in all directions. A small smile tugged at her lips, and her blue-green eyes watched us curiously.

I blushed and looked down at the hands in my lap, and Edward was next to me in an instant, helping me down.

"It'd be perfectly okay," Alice said, "If only we didn't eat in this room."

I blushed even harder, but Edward laughed freely and tucked my head under his chin, still chuckling. I wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my flaming face in his chest.

"Thanks, Ali," he replied sarcastically. "Way to kill a moment." We looked like two teenagers caught in the act – not by our parents, though, thank goodness. I could just imagine Charlie pulling out a shotgun from the middle of nowhere and firing bullets at Edward.

"I know," she teased, grinning. Abruptly, the smile was off her face, and she looked at me. "Bella, can I talk to you?" Her expression was unreadable.

"Oh, I'll leave," Edward said, before I could answer.

"No!" I blurted, and then blushed again. "I mean…you can go to my room."

"It'll just take a minute," Alice assured him.

He nodded, and Alice waited until the door shut before turning to me.

She inhaled deeply, exhaled deeply, and finally opened her mouth to talk. "I'm sorry, Bella," she said, her silky voice quiet and guilty. I chewed on the inside of my cheek.

Alice fiddled with her fingers nervously, looking anywhere but at me.

"I overreacted," she admitted, darting her eyes up to meet mine. "I really did. I was mad, but I know that's no excuse. I was being hypocritical, what with me dating Jasper and all, and…I wasn't being a true friend, so I guess that made me more of a hypocrite," she said, frowning as she anxiously ran a hand through her hair. Then our eyes met again. "I also doubted you when you told the truth, and for all of that, I'm sorry."

"Me too, Ali," I said sincerely, giving her a weary sigh. "I really shouldn't have kept it away from you, because you're my best friend."

"Best friend?" she asked, immediately perky again. "I'm still your best friend?"

I grinned and nodded.

Alice squealed and threw her little arms around my neck, balancing herself on her tip-toes. "Thank you thank you thank you," she murmured gratefully into my ear before taking a step back. "I was so worried that I'd lost you…" she said, her brow furrowing.

I laughed. "It's okay, Alice. And once again, I'm just really, really sorry that I didn't tell you. From now on, I'm going to tell you everything, because I want to be your _true friend._"

She grinned. "Like in that Hannah Montana song?"

I nodded, kissing her cheek. "Like in that Hannah Montana song."

--  
**aww. arent alice and bella cute? and you know whats even cuter? edward and bella! okay. you might disagree but. yeah.**

**i hope this chapter was better than the last. i feel more comfortable with this one, so i hope you guys liked it. and i hope i covered everything in the short and sweet apology. there was no need to recap their yesterday night. **winks**

**okay. i anticipate at least three more chapters, and its done. :O **

**drop a review! :)**


	26. Rejection Didn't Win This Time

**chapter 25! whippeee! and maybe two or three more chaps. i really dont know. x_x i shall go with the flow. :P and dude, ff net keeps changing theiur layout. :P not that theresanything wrong with it. but anyway. yeah.**

**the first part has stuff bout House of inght. it dpoesnt give away much...well. it does, actually. i tried not to spoil for the people who havent read it yet. but anyway. and ill have you know to HoN readers, that bellas reaction was a lot like mine. ;) **

**one more thing: this chapter occurs likee...somewqhere end of april, mid aprilish, like where we are now. its passed all the college stuff and SATs for them juniors. xD right? i forgot how it works. but anywayyy!  
**

**review! :) totally sweettt chapter.  
**

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**CHAPTER 25 – Rejection Didn't Win This Time**

"WHAT THE HELL!" I hollered, causing Edward to jump and look up from his spot on the floor. He held the guitar pick still and balanced the guitar on his legs, looking up at me with a startled expression.

Ignoring him, I stuck my nose (literally) into the book and reread the paragraph, hoping and praying that I'd read it wrong…

Ah. No. I read it right.

"Oh, no!" I moaned, my voice octaves higher than normal. I tossed the book aside and bawled into my hands. Edward was at my side in an instant, his arms wrapped around me.

"Bella, what's wrong?" he asked, looking panicked.

"E-everything..." I cried, now bawling in his shirt, "E-everything is a-all w-wrong!" I stuttered and choked, feeling my world plummeting all around me.

Edward kissed my cheek and stared at me a moment.

I wasn't exactly sobbing, and I wasn't really crying either. No, I wasn't bawling, but it sure sounded like I was. Basically, I was dry-sobbing.

"What can I do to make it better?" Edward asked, stroking my cheek lovingly.

"N-nothing," I said, sniffling nothing. "She had sex with him."

Edward stared at me blankly. "Who had sex with him."

"She did!" I exclaimed, poking the cover of the book. "And then – and then – it was – it was after he Changed, too! Devastating!" I said, bursting into another chorus of dry sobs.

Edward didn't reply for a long moment, and when he did, all he said was, "Oh."

"'Oh!'" I quoted sourly, bursting into another round of hysterics. "She had sex with him, and all you can say is 'Oh!'" I cried, burying my face in his neck. "Why, Edward, why?!?!" I shouted.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he apologized, although by the tone of his voice, I could tell he wasn't exactly sure what he was apologizing for.

I reached behind me and grabbed my House of Night book, _Chosen,_ which was thrown carelessly on the bed_._ I'd never actually read a vampire series before, and House of Night seemed more interesting than Vampire Academy. So. Yeah. Plus, Alice introduced it to me several days ago, and since then, I couldn't unglue myself from the series.

I quickly flipped through the pages until I found the right one, and shoved it at him, crossing my arms across my chest and wiping at nonexistent tears.

"Read it," I sniffed dramatically. "Page two-hundred and forty-three. Last paragraph. It will haunt me for the rest of my life." Before I knew it, I was babbling. "I mean, what about Erik? Was he not good enough for her? How can she not want the hot, young vampire? And he just Changed! Loren Blake and Heath should _both _go to hell," I jabbered, sniffing. "He isn't even that great! Besides, he's like way older than her. Gosh, we all know Erik is hot. I mean, seriously, I need to do some major ranting to Alice…"

My babbling was cut short when Edward laughed and put the book on the bedside table. Then he pulled me onto his lap.

"First of all," he murmured into my ear, his breath tickling my skin. "I don't know what is going on in the series."

I opened my mouth to inform him, but he quickly continued.

"Second of all, I don't know who Zoey Redbird is, nor do I know much about this Loren Blake or Heath guy you speak of." He chuckled and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "And finally, I don't like this Loren Blake guy because you don't like him," Edward concluded. "Therefore, he can go to hell."

I grinned at him. "Yay."

Edward laughed. "Sure. Yay."

I kissed him chastely. "Sorry I scared you away from your guitar," I apologized, smiling sheepishly.

Edward smiled. "It's okay, Bella," he said, his fingertips brushing against my cheek. "Anything for you."

I blushed and handed him his blue guitar pick, which he gratefully took. "Carry on. I need to finish the damn book anyway."

He sat down on the floor by the foot of the bed and began strumming again. I recognized the familiar tune of _Iris_ by Goo Goo Dolls.

Laughing, I reached for the book on the nightstand and set it down next to me on the bed. Then I flopped onto my stomach and wrapped my arms around his neck from behind, resting my chin on the top of his head.

"Practicing your own rendition?" I teased, giggling quietly when locks of bronze tickled my jaw.

Edward sighed, now strumming inattentively. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"I didn't say there was," I laughed, beaming when he tilted his head back to look up at me with narrowed eyes.

He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off with a kiss.

It was yet another moment where I was dying to tell him. I was just so scared! Rejection was something I wasn't fond of. Actually, Rejection and I weren't friends at all. We were enemies, and that was that. I hated Rejection. And Rejection…probably liked me. Haha.

I pulled away, gasping for breath while Edward trailed his lips gently along my jaw, and then trailing a vertical line of kisses all along my throat. Everywhere he touched, my skin burned.

I wasn't sure what happened right after that, or how we even ended up like that, but the next thing I knew, Edward was on top of me on the bed. I could feel him supporting his weight, as if to not crush me, and our legs were tangled together.

He brought his lips back to mine again, and I tangled my fingers in his auburn locks, sighing contently. Edward was so perfect. So godlike. So beautiful. How could someone like him have ended up with someone like _me? _Seriously. I was no Rosalie or Megan Fox. I was just Bella. Plain Jane Bella. But I wanted him so much, and I knew that my attraction wasn't only physical. It was definitely more. Sweet, caring, loving, affectionate…the list could go on about the good qualities of Edward Cullen. It just proved how lost I was.

Edward tore his lips away from mine, and he flipped us over so that I was on top. Propping his head up on a pillow, he pulled me into his arms, and I rested my head on his shoulder. One of my hands found its way up into his hair, where the soft locks curled around my fingers.

We lay in silence.

"Edward," I said softly, enjoying the light, soothing circles he made on my waist.

"Yes, Bella?"

I bit my lip nervously. "What did Emmett mean when he said you were 'sexually repressed'?"

I giggled, but Edward tensed, causing me to look up at him with a frown.

His jaw was taut and his eyes were narrowed at particularly nothing. The thumb that was circling my waist didn't circle anymore, and was instead enclosed in a tight fist.

"Edward?" I pressed softly.

"He was kidding," Edward replied stiffly.

"Was he?" I inquired dubiously, raising an eyebrow at him.

I rolled off of him and got into a sitting position on the bed, tucking my knees under me and grabbing onto one of his hands. While toying around with his fingers, and I said brightly, "Does this mean you haven't had sex before?"

He didn't look at me. He didn't answer.

I tried not to show the look of hurt on my face. I mean, obviously someone as nice and handsome as Edward had to have done it before. I should have expected that. No duh, Bella.

I bit my lip. "Oh," I said lamely, despising the newly awkward atmosphere. Why did you have to bring it up, stupid Bella? "Oh," I repeated.

Edward sighed and sat up, this time taking my hands into his.

"Tanya," he said, answering some unasked question. "It was a mistake," he said apprehensively.

I merely continued to chew on my lip.

He sighed again. "They're true, you know, the rumors," Edward said, sounding resentful. "Well, this one at least. I haven't done so with that many, though."

Somehow, I wasn't assured.

I tried not to show it. "Have you…" God, I couldn't believe I was asking him this, "…_done it_" – way to go, Bella – "with all of your girlfriends?" I asked nervously, fidgeting with my fingers.

I could feel my cheeks turn hot, and Edward cracked a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes.

He gently took my face into his hands and firmly said, "No."

"No?" I breathed, relieved.

Edward smiled. "No," he confirmed.

"But I still don't get what Emmett…"

He tensed again and dropped both of his hands. I missed the contact, so I took one of his large hands into both of mine and traced the lines embedded into his palm.

His cheeks were slightly pink, making me want to swoon at just how adorable he was.

"Emmett has a very physical relationship with Rosalie," he began nervously. "As I'm sure you know."

I nodded.

"And Jasper and Alice…well, they've had sex before, I think," Edward said, turning another shade of pink.

_What!_ Alice did it? And she didn't tell me? I was going to have to have some girl talk with her after this.

I nodded, rather than voicing my shock.

Edward smiled. "Well, our relationship…" He paused, as if hesitative to continue on. "...we…"

"…Haven't…" I added, blushing.

"Yeah, we haven't," Edward said, and the both of us were turning shades of pink and red. Well, pink for Edward, dark red for me.

I considered this for a moment. When I spoke, I was surprised at the casual tone in my voice. "Well, you want to do it?"

Edward's eyes widened. "Do what?" he asked cautiously.

"Have sex."

He dropped his jaw. "No!" he said firmly, looking absolutely horrified. "Absolutely not," he added, shaking his head.

His response hurt more than it should have, and I could feel the waterworks coming. Did he not want me? Was I not pretty enough or "hot" enough for him? Did he not _love_ me? Question after question rang through my head, and after each one, I found my dignity being shattered to a bazillion pieces.

And then I was mad.

"Absolutely not," I repeated, glaring at him as tore my hands away from his. "You don't want me," I said, feeling my eyes become wet. I was supposed to sound mad, but all that came out was a cracked voice.

His eyes widened again. "No, Bella, of course I want you!" he said quickly. "It's just…"

"Just what?" I asked.

He ran his fingers through his hair, but didn't answer.

A traitor tear slipped down my cheek. "Is it because I'm not beautiful enough?" I asked him indignantly, crossing my arms across my chest and turning away. "Because Tanya was damn gorgeous and I bet you took her in a sec –"

In a flash, Edward had his hand over my mouth, stopping me mid-sentence.

He was glowering at me, and I cringed. He really was mad.

"Tanya," he said through gritted teeth, "was and is _the worst_ person I have ever met. Don't you _ever_ compare yourself to her."

"Why not?" I growled, swatting his hand away. "Because obviously, you physically wanted her whereas I, apparently, am not –"

"I do want you, Bella," Edward interrupted calmly. I saw his hand twitch, but he kept a distance. "I want you so much."

"No you don't," I muttered, feeling another tear. "I'm no Rosalie. I'm not gorgeous or blonde and beautiful, and then I always wonder how someone like _you_" - I looked up at his unfathomable expression – "could want me."

"Isabella," he nearly growled. He put his hands on either side of my face and forced me to look at him. "You're right – you're not Rosalie. You're not Tanya either. But you know what?" He leaned slightly closer. "I like you better than any other girl in this universe."

So he only likes me. I bet Rejection was enjoying this very much.

"Stop," I said, watching his expression go confused. "Just stop calling me beautiful, because both you and I know that I am n-"

"You really think that?" Edward asked.

"Does it look like I don't?" I cried. "Because honestly, I'm not good enough. Which is exactly why you won't have sex with me, which then leads to the fact that you probably never will. Which means that we won't last forever like I'd always wanted, because we're just some stupid, idiotic _high school teenagers_!" I yelled angrily, feeling my tears flow nonstop.

Edward looked completely shocked, but I just ignored him and angrily swiped my tears away with my sleeve. This was the first argument we'd shared as boyfriend/girlfriend, and I absolutely hated it.

Edward pulled me onto his lap. I didnt even bother to fight him away, because deep down I knew wanted to have his arms around me.

"I want you," he repeated softly, wiping my tears away with a lot more tenderness than I did for myself. "I think you're beautiful. And one day, when I'm ready, we can be together."

"But you were ready with all the other girls." And secretly, now that he'd said it, I didn't think I was ready either. What happened to 'waiting until marriage'? And I knew I wasn't going to get married any time soon. Charlie and my ex-mother Renee did that, and look where they ended up. Either way, making love **(it feels odd talking about this stuff x_x, but its necessary, if you think about it. i guess.)** was a big step.

He grimaced at the reminder of his past. "They weren't as important to me as you are. I can't bear to see your virtue gone because of me."

"Oh, so now you think I'm going to get wasted and lose my virtue?" What the hell?

"Possibly," he answered, "because one day, you might look back and regret your decision. You might not want me."

If it weren't for the serious predicament, I would have burst out laughing at how absurd that sounded. I wanted Edward; I mean hey, I was totally and completely in love with him. I wanted him more than I'd ever wanted anything else in my entire life. Even that one time when I was waiting for the next Harry Potter book to come out. I could live without it. But Edward, I needed to be with.

"I want you," I said, feeling the words "I love you" cling to the tip of my tongue. I kept my mouth shut before I could say something like that and blow off the whole relationship.

"Then is it wrong for me to want you, too?" Edward asked me, lacing his fingers through my hair.

And then there was this spark. I wasn't sure, but there was this weird electrical feeling that coursed through my body, seeming to yell "I love you" all over. Under his penetrating gaze, I could feel it. Something. I could feel this something in his touch, watching the way his breathing seemed to hitch and become unsteady. The way my heart seemed to tug at my chest, the way I wanted him so_,_ _so_ much…

"Can you feel it?" I blurted, totally off-subject. He probably didn't even know what I was talking about. Hell, I didn't even know what I was talking about.

But Edward didn't laugh; instead his green eyes seemed to intensify, and the sudden change in atmosphere was sharp and secure. "Yes," he murmured. "I feel it."

I tucked my head under his chin and drew random stuff on the exposed skin just above the top of his shirt. I wasn't sure whether it was making him uncomfortable; if it was, he didn't say anything.

I looked up at him, eye level. "What do you feel?"

"Honestly, Bella?" he murmured, moving a lock of hair out of my face and then stroking my cheek with his fingertips. His green eyes searched mine for a moment, and then he leaned closer to me, his nose brushing against mine. "I feel you."

I blushed.

Edward chuckled and kissed me chastely before pulling back. I traced the dip of his collarbone with my index finger, feeling the soft skin there before trailing it lightly up his throat.

"I feel your hands," he murmured, gently taking my small hand from his chest. He played with my fingers idly before continuing. "I feel your body," he added, his arm once again wounding around my waist. "You're close to me."

"I'm close," I agreed, my heart beating wildly in my chest. It was amazing how quickly we'd transitioned from a heated argument to this sensitive and sentimental atmosphere.

He chuckled apologetically. "I wish I could feel your cheek," he said.

"You're touching my cheek," I informed him.

"Calluses," he said remorsefully, his fingertips now ghosting along my jaw and neck, just like I'd done to him. "I feel a lot of things, both physically and mentally," he said. "What do you feel, Bella?"

"Love," I said instantly, turning a shade of red. My heartbeat was extremely unsteady; I was almost sure that Edward could feel it thumping, or even hear it. "I feel love."

His lips turned into a breathtaking smile.

"I feel love, too," he said, kissing my nose lightly. "And you know what's even better?"

I bit my lip and shook my head.

"The love's for you," Edward said, gently tracing my lip with his thumb.

My heart skipped a beat, and I grinned wider than I'd ever grinned in my entire life.

Edward noticed and laughed while I blushed.

I shyly looked up at him, daring myself to look directly into his depthless green eyes.

He seemed to hesitate a moment, but then said the one thing could make Rejection lose the game. "I love you, Bella." He stared right into my own eyes. He was blushing again, looking adorable as ever as he continued nervously. "I know you might not feel the same w –"

I kissed him. Hard.

Edward didn't respond at first, for he seemed shocked and astonished. But then slowly and gradually, he kissed me back, and before I knew it, I was saying, "I love you" to him over and over again.

"I love you, Edward," I said for the umpteenth time, kissing him fervently and ignoring my protesting lungs. I vaguely wondered if I was dreaming again, but pushed the thought out of my mind. If I was dreaming, there was no need for me to wake up. Reality can wait.

I pulled back first, trying to control my ragged breathing, and Edward was doing the same. Nonetheless, he smiled at me and crushed me to his chest, his lips moving gently along my jaw.

"I really, really, really love you, Isabella," Edward said against my flushed skin. He chuckled when he kissed the pulse at my neck, no doubt feeling just how quickly my heart was racing.

"Err…am I dreaming?" I asked lamely.

Edward pulled away from me and raised an eyebrow. "No, you're not."

"Are ya sure?"

He laughed. "Yes, Bella, I'm sure."

"Huh." And then it actually processed.

"Oh, my God," I gasped.

"What is it?"

"You love me," I said, my voice laced with shock and astonishment.

Edward smiled, taking both of my hands into his, though he looked genuinely perplexed. "Yes, I love you."

"You love me," I repeated, my voice suddenly laced with excitement. "You love me!"

_No shit, Bella. The guy already said so, like, a lot._

I grinned and threw my arms around his neck, kissing wherever I could reach, my body jumpy with excitement. And this one time, I was the four-year-old little toddler.

-------o-------

Edward and I had an unspoken agreement that we wouldn't…do _that_…until we were both ready. I decided that if it was a vice versa situation, Edward would fully respect my needs and wants. So here I was, respecting _his_ needs and wants.

"Alice," I said, doing my best to ignore the ice cold glare Tanya gave me from the other side of the cafeteria.

"Hmm?" She continued to scarf down food. "What's up, Bella?"

"It's almost May," I said softly, wondering where all the time went. One moment, it was Christmas, and Edward was singing to me. The next, we went out and dated publicly, and everyone – except for Lauren's clique – fully supported us. I was happy for that. And then now, the end of the year is coming.

Alice swallowed and set her fork down on her plate, resting her elbows on the table thoughtfully. "I know," she said, no hint of sarcasm. Her eyes were sad, as was her tone. "We have two months, Bella, and we're done with junior year."

"And then we'll be seniors," I said, smiling. Abruptly, the smile faded. "Rose, Em, and Jazz will all go to college," I murmured.

Alice's brow furrowed, and she shoved her food away. "Lost appetite," she muttered when I stared at her questioningly.

"Ali," I sighed tiredly. "Finish your food. You always do."

"Can't."

I sighed again. "Sorry," I mumbled.

She shrugged it off, her face blank when Edward and Jasper approached the table with trays of food, talking and laughing with each other. When they saw us, they immediately stopped.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward asked worriedly, sitting down next to me. He cupped my cheek, his green eyes full of concern. He was one to overreact, especially now, when he was in love with me. I inwardly smiled at the thought.

I was vaguely aware of two other things – one, Jasper talking to Alice just like Edward was talking to me. And two, Tanya's eyes right on me and Edward.

Ignoring those, I bit my lip sheepishly.

"Alice and I are sad that the school year is going to end soon," I whispered to him. "I mean, I could do without the schoolwork. But Rose is going to college…" My voice cracked. "I'm going to miss her."

Edward nodded in understanding and gently crushed me to his chest, his chin resting lightly on top of my head. He lightly stroked my hair, just holding me right there in the middle of the cafeteria where eyes wandered. But I didn't mind. They could look all they want (Hah, take that, Tanya!) and I would still love him.

I pulled away. "Time flew by so quickly," I mumbled.

Edward nodded again and smiled sadly, wiping away a traitor tear with his thumb. "I know, Bella," he said, gently pulling me to his chest again. His shirt smelled like laundry detergent and Edward at the same time. It was nice. "That's what happens when you have fun," Edward murmured into my ear, and I could feel him smiling against my hair.

"Are you going to go here again for senior year?" I asked, pressing my cheek against his chest.

Edward sighed warily. "I've talked to Carlisle about it, and he says it's up to me."

I pulled away from his arms and sat up properly again. Then I grabbed one of his large, pale hands and doodled on his palm with my fingertip.

"What are you going to do?" I said softly, not looking at him. We were in our own world now, and Tanya and Alice and all those other people didn't matter. It was just Edward and me.

He didn't respond at first, and I looked up to find his forehead wrinkled, and a slight frown on his face while he thought.

"I don't know, Bella," Edward said genuinely, his eyes meeting mine. They held a twinge of sadness that I couldn't understand. "I honestly don't know," he repeated. "Where are you going?"

I blushed. "I don't know either. I've talked to Charlie several times, but he's always so busy and has to keep hanging up. He told me he'd call back, but he never did," I mumbled. "He's the reason I came here in the first place, you know," I informed Edward. "Because Rose and I didn't want to seem like such burdens for him. Charlie's already busy enough as it is," I said. Then I added the last part more to myself. "Guess he's still busy."

"Do you want to come back here?" Edward asked, glancing around CP's cafeteria.

"Not really," I said as Rosalie and Emmett appeared at the table. I gave them a wave of acknowledgement and turned back to Edward. "Like I said, Rose is going to be in college, as well as Emmett, Jasper, Jackie, and Ben. I guess I could stay in Forks. Finish high school there. I'm pretty independent, and I can cook for myself."

Loneliness, on the other hand…

"If you're not going to be here next year, Alice and I probably won't come either," Edward informed me, forking a piece of orange chicken and holding it up to my mouth. "Open up."

My cheeks flamed.

While I chewed, he said, "I know we live in Alaska." He seemed slightly disappointed at the thought. "And that's way up north. But don't worry, Bella," he assured me, kissing the top of my head. "We'll work things out. Long distance relationships are possible."

I nodded, but an unspoken question lingered in the air.

Do they last?

--  
**you may think i was psychotic for reacting like that, but dont worry. im perfectly sane. most of the time. ;)**

**hmm. well, i thought it was cute when edward fed her the piece o orange chicken :P haha. hmm. yeah so. i hope i didnt blow the whole i loive you think. and in Twilight, bella is very important to edward, so i incorporated that into here. He doesnt want to "waste" her because...well...he wants their relationship to last with no regrets. hes just like that, so deal wth it? :P agh, well, just stick to the fact that they want to wait til they're both ready. thats what happens in relatinoships right? XD**

**OH. and im not sure if you caught this, but when edward said he didnt do it with all of his girlfriends, he means bella. because bella is his girlfriend. heh. :P  
**

**drop a review :)**


	27. Move, Move, Move

i swear. this story is seriously close to the end. no kidding. :D

review, please. can i get to 500 please???? xD

--

**CHAPTER 26 – Move, Move, Move**

"I'm goin' to Harvard!" Rosalie squealed.

"Really?" Alice exclaimed, looking up from her fashion magazine with a big smile.

"No," my sister sighed, sounding defeated as she plopped down on the bed of Alice's room. "Rejected." She glumly held up the piece of paper.

"Oh, honey, it's okay," Alice piped, wrapping her arms around my sister and kissing her cheek. "There are other good schools to go to for undergrad."

Rosalie smiled and nodded. "I'm going to major in English for undergrad, and then go law school," she said thoughtfully, tapping her cheek with her index finger, her nail bright red with nail polish. "Stanford," Rosalie said, grinning. "And then Yale."

"How you ever maintain such good grades, I will never know," I said, my eyes wide as I stared at her through the mirror of Alice's vanity. "You've got about a decade of schooling ahead of you, probably more," I sighed as Rosalie nodded in agreement.

It was Alice's turn to curl my hair, and I looked a lot like a Barbie doll rather than my usual Bella-ness. And what was sad, was that I had no reason to be dressed up in the first place.

"Where is Emmett going?" I asked, examining my eye in the mirror. All around it was black stuff, but not too much that I looked like a Robin. It was different, seeing this much black on my face.

I was lucky that Edward was only a junior, because Alice was about to burst with anxiety at the fact that Jasper was going to be at the University of Pennsylvania, studying business.

"Stanford," Rosalie replied, looking absolutely radiant. "He's studying business at Standford. I think him and Jasper plan to own a company one day."

"Hey, you know that's dangerous," I joked. "One guy might want more money than the other, and Emmett might end up shooting Jasper in the head."

Alice chucked her magazine at the back of my head, and I ducked, laughing.

Before she could utter a sound, we heard several knocks at the door. We looked at each other questioningly before exiting the room.

When we opened the door, Rosalie, Alice, and I all said stuff at the same time.

"What the f –"

"Holy sh –"

"You guys look weird."

Rosalie and Alice turned to me, for my statement was the only one with a profanity in it. I shrugged and looked back at them.

"Edward," I said pleasantly. "Feeling creative?" I tugged off the red ribbon that surrounded his head, and then nearly barfed when I saw his ultra green outfit.

"Don't," he hissed, "you dare. This was all Emmett's idea." He jutted his thumb back behind him, where Emmett appeared in all green and a blue mask.

"Teenage Ninja Turtles!" he said enthusiastically, walking through the doorway like he owned the place. "Hey, Squirt," he said, ruffling my hair with his big hand before reaching for Rosalie.

My sister made an "ew" sound and backed away.

"Emmett, please tell me you didn't make Jasper – "

"Sorry, Alice," Jasper said, nervously appearing in the doorway.

Alice gasped. "Oh, Lord." She grabbed onto his hand and tugged him towards her bedroom, muttering stuff like "gotta get you some new clothes" and "that idiot of an Emmett."

I looked at Edward, who was glaring at Emmett.

"He threatened your Volvo, didn't he." I didn't even make it a question.

"Unfortunately."

I laughed. "Do you fit any of Jasper's clothes?"

Edward smirked. "They're kinda big, actually. But yeah. Somewhat."  
I took his hand and led him to Alice's room. "Let's get you out of this horrendous stuff. And don't worry about your Volvo. I'll help you terrorize Emmett's Jeep."

-------o-------

"Tanya, what a pleasant surprise," I said sarcastically. "Could you please move out of the way? I need to get to my next class."

I tried to sidestep her, but she merely mimicked my movements. Gosh, what was up with her and blocking my way?

"Swan," she sneered.

"Um, Dachelet?" I said bluntly, stepping to my right. She stepped to her left. "Please move. I'm going to be late for my next class."

"Well, that's not my problem. Now is it?"

I stepped to my left. She moved to her right.

"Move the hell out of the way please," I said, trying to annoy her with my enjoyable tone. The hell part kind of ruined it.

"Actually, Swan, you're in my way."

"Am I?" I asked dubiously, stepping to my right again. "Well, why don't you move? Then I won't be in your way anymore."

"You move," she retorted. "Out of my way, you little bitch."

"You move," I snapped.

"Move."

"No."

"Get out of my way."

"If you get out of mine."

"Get the fu –"

"Ladies," Edward interrupted, slipping an arm around my waist and nodding his head curtly at Tanya. "Let's be nice, and watch your language, Tanya," Edward scolded, sounding like a father all of a sudden. Then he looked back and forth between the both of us. "Let the gentleman through first."

He quickly steered me out of the crowd and right to my next class, history.

"Thanks," I said laughing, getting up on my tippy-toes to give him a chaste kiss. "If she didn't shut up, I might have rammed my fist up her nose."

"That's not possible," Edward said, shaking his head. "Her nostrils are too small."

I rolled my eyes and muttered "no duh" under my breath. Then I kissed him again, and it was utter bliss. Until the bell rang.

"Oh shoot," I said, my brow furrowing. "You're late…and so am I," I added a second later.

"No worries," he said. "I'll dazzle Mrs. Grenningham into letting me off the hook. And then I'll bribe Mr. Coe into marking you present and on time."

"Your so bad," I said, shaking my head as I smacked his shoulder. "But remember that you're _mine_."

He chuckled. "Go to class, Bella. I love you."

"Love you too."

We had one of the longest goodbyes in history.

And then Tanya showed up _again_, at the cafeteria line_._ This time there was Jessica. But Jessica never did anything but laugh when she was supposed to, so I didn't give a damn about her. They just so happened to be standing in front of me.

" – daddy owns the hotel in Portland, so he's _super_ rich, and I'm the hotel heiress," Tanya boasted to Jessica – loudly, I might add. "He says that he's going to get me a turbo jet for my birthday, and for Christmas, we're going to Italy so I can meet Italian models."

Jessica gasped dramatically. "Wow."

I did my best to ignore them, fixing my eyes on the display of food. _Corn…squaw bread slices…butter…_

"I know," Tanya answered. "It's extremely extravagant. I even asked for an allowance boost. So now I get 2000 dollars a week. Before, I only got 950." _Those barbeque chicken drumsticks look really good… _"But I persuaded him. I also persuaded him to let us go to Hawaii over summer vacation. Isn't that, like, awesome?"

Jessica nodded fervently, reaching for the dinner roll.

Tanya slapped Jessica's hand. "Don't touch that," she growled. "You know I don't eat carbs. You freaking idiot. Get me something better."

_Apple pie…cheesecake…Hey...that looks kinda good...bread pudding…_

Jessica didn't respond, but looked rather confused as Tanya continued to babble loudly. "Anyways, as I was saying, Hawaii sounds amazing. Hey" - she smacked Jessica's hand again - "No egg salad. I hate eggs."

Jessica looked kind of hurt. "But I like them..."

Tanya narrowed her eyes at her so-called friend. "Yes, but this plate is mine, not yours. So keep walking." She gave Jessica a shove just to prove her point. "And tell the guy in front to hurry up. He's so slow," she sneered ignorantly. Flipping her hair over her shoulder with her manicured nails, she continued, "I've been to Hawaii over _five times. _The beaches are so incredibly gorgeous, and Daddy and I always hang out together. I mean, father-daughter time is just _so_ important" – she turned her head slightly in my direction – "isn't it, Bella?"

"Huh?" I asked, looking up from the large spoon of bread pudding I was adding to my little plastic plate. So what? Bread pudding is good.

Tanya laughed, her voice silky yet laced with threat. "I always spend time with Daddy. He and I are like this." She crossed her fingers. "How about you, Bella?" she asked with false niceness. "What do you do with your daddy?"

_Nothing._

I bit my lip, not answering her question. The devilish side of me was yelling for me to lie to her, but the more angelic and rational side said, "Keep your mouth shut." So I did. Damn me and my too-nice personality.

Ignoring her, I added a cup of chocolate pudding to my tray and got out of line, heading straight for my table, where Alice and Jasper were waiting in the corner. Edward had to attend some music class meeting for Mrs. Grenningham, so he was going to be late for dinner.

"Tanya," I greeted, stopping midway across the cafeteria where she decided to intercept me. "Could you please move?" Here we go again.

"Why don't you?"

I resisted the urge to groan. "Seriously. This is really stupid. Out of my way, Dachelet."

Ignoring me, she eyed my plate. "Bread pudding?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"I like bread pudding." And unlike you, I don't have a problem eating it.

Tanya tapped her chin thoughtfully, and I glanced over her shoulder at Alice, who was frantically gesturing at me to come over to her. Her hands were clasped with Jasper's, and her blue-green eyes were wide with confusion. I nodded slightly and looked back at Tanya, who was smirking at me, her grey eyes cold and acidic.

"If you like it so much," she said kindly, "I'm sure you wouldn't mind me taking some of it…" And to my dismay and utter shock, she stuck her hand right into my pile of bread pudding and shoved it right onto my clothes. "...and accidentally spilling it onto you."

I narrowed my eyes at her, and the whole cafeteria was watching the situation. Seriously. Did they not have anything better to do?!

She smiled sweetly. "You get the bread pudding in the end."

"I think," I said, sticking my hand into the rest of it, grimacing when the squishy substance came in contact with my fingers, "that you wouldn't mind me…" I slapped it right into her face and hair. "...ruining some of that makeup you have on."

Our tones were completely friendly, but the threat laced both in our eyes and actions revealed the actual hatred we had for each other. I smiled at her amiably, and Tanya glowered at me, looking totally pissed. I bet I hit her weakness when I dirtied her gorgeous strawberry blond hair.

I heard laughs and gasps of "oh no she didn't" go around the cafeteria.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," I said, stepping around her and ignoring the murmurs of the audience. My footsteps came to a halt when a strangled battle cry came from behind me.

I barely turned around before two hands roughly tugged on my hair, pulling me backwards.

I screamed; Tanya screamed.

"OOOUUUUCH!" I hollered, yanking on her skinny arms and wrestling against her body, forcing her to let go. But she's stronger than she looks. We both fought and shrieked and pushed and shoved until unfortunately and fortunately (at the same time), my tray of food went flying into the air. Up, up, up it went, only to fall right back down on Tanya.

She screamed, falling down and effectively pulling me down with her.

We both landed on the cafeteria floor with a hard, noisy _crunch._ Right in front of everyone.

"Ow…" I moaned, trying to find which way was up and which way was down.

I heard Tanya whine underneath me.

"Bella!" Alice gasped, suddenly appearing next to me.

Tanya groaned again and practically shoved me off, and I looked over to see her beautiful hair completely covered in my egg salad, and her face was smeared with barbeque sauce. Little specks of yellow – corn – were all over her, and the chicken I got was hanging off the top of her shirt. It was quite funny, actually, and everyone was laughing. Except Lauren's group.

"Wow, are you alright?" Alice asked as she walked over to our table. Jasper handed her a napkin, and she began wiping some gunk off of me.

"That was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. And by the way, you're going to need to change."

I laughed, feeling a weird pain in my tailbone as she took the plate that somehow managed to stick to the top of my head. "I'm fine. Gives Tanya a taste of her own medicine anyway," I muttered, glaring over at Tanya who was talking frantically to Lauren. Jessica and Heidi were busily cleaning her up. "She was lucky that my chocolate pudding wasn't opened yet."

Alice and I looked at each other a burst out laughing.

Once our giggles calmed down, I looked down at myself. My front was pretty much fine, except for the tiny smears of leftover bread pudding (what a waste of bread pudding. Plus, I always wondered who was going to clean up the messes we made in the cafeteria. The janitor?). But it was my back that was worse, because I'd landed on Tanya. At least she was there to break my fall.

Alice nodded in agreement, sighing. "Here, let's go to the dorm."

"You stay," I said to Alice. "I can go on my own."

"Are you sure?" she asked, but she looked anxiously over at Jasper.

I laughed. "Yeah. Go finish your dinner. I'll come right back down."

Alice hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

On my way out, Jackie and I locked gazes, and she smiled at me and mouthed "thanks." I simply grinned at her and exited the cafeteria, attempting to get the gunk out of my hair.

"Oh, Lord, Bella." I looked up to see Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward, all walking together and chatting.

Emmett and Edward looked up at me, and Edward was by my side in an instant.

"What the hell happened?" Rosalie asked, frowning.

Edward sighed and kissed me chastely before prying bits of egg salad out of my hair.

"Tanya," I muttered, and Edward tensed. "Don't worry. She's in a worse condition. But I think I broke my butt."

Rosalie blew out a breath. "Just wait 'til I finish her up…she won't even be _whole_ anymore…"

I shook my head at her. "Rose, don't," I said sternly, then sighed. "You guys go ahead. I need to change."

Rosalie laced her fingers with Emmett's and nodded. "See ya later, sis."

I rolled my eyes and Edward took my hand into his. "Let's go," he said.

"Aren't you going with them?" I asked. "It won't be that long."

Edward looked at me for a moment, his eyes burning into mine. "I haven't seen you in ever. Please?"

I blushed and nodded.

He smiled at me and leaned down, pressing his lips against mine. "I love you."

I grinned widely. "I love you too, Edward."

-------o-------

I blushed and gently trailed my index finger down his bare and sculpted chest, marveling at the gentle curve of his abs (six pack! Woo!) and the soft skin beneath my fingertips. Edward shivered but brought his lips onto mine, smiling against my skin the whole time he kissed me.

"You have no idea how you make me feel," Edward murmured into my ear, kissing my cheek playfully.

My face flushed, and I continued to trace the contours of his chest, using my entire palm this time. I lightly slipped my fingers underneath the flap of his button-up before placing a gentle kiss where I assumed his heart was. I let my lips linger for a moment, feeling the unsteady ­_thump-thump_ it made. The heat coming from his body was strangely comforting.

"Well, don't you guys look cozy," Alice said, leaning against the doorway of my bedroom.

I squealed and buried my face in the crook of his neck, my face turning an extremely dark shade of crimson.

"Alice," Edward sighed disapprovingly. I felt the side of his neck vibrate as he spoke. He gently cupped the back of my head, and I could practically feel the glare he gave to his sister. "You don't see me barging into your private times with Jasper," he accused.

"Yes," Alice agreed. "But Jasper and I know when and where to have our moments. You guys are just idiots," she said defensively.

"Alice," Edward half-snarled.

Her tinkling laughter filled the air. "Alright, alright. I'm out of here," she said, still laughing. "See you later Edward. Bella."

I nodded my head at her, still blushing for some reason. The door shut, and I looked up at Edward.

He had his eyes narrowed.

"Don't worry," I said, stroking his cheek lightly. "We'll seek revenge on her one day. I could steal her wardrobe if you want."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Steal her wardrobe, Bella? Really?" he said dubiously. "Alice probably has a security alarm set up around her closet, guarding her Abercrombie's and Dolce & Gabbana's."

I sighed. "You're probably right."

"I know I'm right."

I laughed and slapped his shoulder playfully. Sighing, I said, "One more week, and then junior year is over."

Edward laughed softly, his chest rumbling. "Yes, Bella. And then one three-month summer 'til senior year," he said, sounding disappointed. "I don't know how I'll last…"

I rolled my eyes. "It's only summer, Edward. Unless you plan to sit out in the heat and sunburn yourself to death."

He chuckled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I mean a summer without you, Bella. You know three months is a long time. And without you, it's going to drone on and on. Cell phones and e-mails just aren't enough."

I kissed his cheek tenderly, feeling touched by his words. "Webcam?" I suggested.

Edward laughed. "And then senior year…?"

"Oh," I said, frowning. "Are you sure you're going to go to school in Alaska?"

"Are you sure you're going to go to school in Forks?" he inquired, raising his eyebrows at me.

"One year," I murmured thoughtfully, more to myself. "One year without Edward."

"Webcam," he quoted.

"Webcam isn't enough," I said, quoting part of what he'd said earlier.

He sighed. "Good point. I don't feel very comfortable kissing a camera," he murmured. "Bella…" he began nervously. "Maybe I can convince Carlisle to let us move to F –"

"NO!" I screeched, jumping out of his arms. I stared at his startled and hurt expression, and quickly said, "It's not that I don't want you with me. I just…I don't think you should make it such a big –"

"It is a big deal, Bella," Edward interrupted, taking my hand. I warily crawled back into his lap. "Carlisle is a very understanding man, and Esme –"

"Moving is huge," I protested.

" – decorate. If we buy a new house, she'll have fun putting furniture all over the place. And Alice, well, you know Alice." He gave me a pleading look.

I was scared. Edward was very serious – about the relationship, about his parents, about me. It was freaking me out. Not that I didn't love him or anything, I was just kind of shocked that he even made the suggestion.

"Why are you pleading with me?" I asked cautiously.

Edward looked taken aback by the question. "Bella, I want you to understand just how much I love you," he said, tracing my bottom lip with his thumb. "There is no way we're lasting three months over webcam."

"Visit?" I asked.

He shook his head and rested his forehead against mine, his green eyes piercing. "I won't be able to leave."

I chewed on my lip, repeating his words over and over again in my head.

"But won't your parents think you're…like…crazy or something? To be thinking you're totally in love with this girl when you're not even eighteen yet?"

He looked offended. "Are you saying that I'm naïve?"

"Not exactly…" I said guiltily, regretting what I'd just said. Then I sighed, fiddling with the hem of my shirt. "I just feel like we're acting like we're adults when we aren't even in college, Edward. It feels wrong."

He sighed and pressed his lips to my jaw, his eyes closed. "I know," he agreed, his warm breath tickling my skin. "But you know I won't last without you. I can't touch you or kiss you everyday. It's not the same, Bella, and you know it."

I tried to think about what a day would be like without Edward. I had this vision of myself sitting at the kitchen table all day long reading _Wuthering Heights_ while Rosalie was out partying with Emmett or something. That was enough to make me feel lonely. I could remember what life was like before I went to Central Parkway and met Edward. Sure, I was rich. Charlie had us rolling in money. But at the same time, I was nothing. I was unimportant to anyone besides my own family. Rosalie had stolen all of the spotlight, so all I had were people from, like, chess club or something. And then I came here, and Edward was one of the first guys to have never drooled over my sister. He went for me instead. And then suddenly, I was something, a significant something to someone.

Damn.

I sighed, kissing him hard because I was engulfed with emotions. "Yeah," I mumbled. "But what if –"

"Carlisle and Esme will _love_ you," he promised. "Trust me. They are going to be thrilled beyond belief."

"Moving is such a big deal," I gasped apprehensively. "You're dragging your entire family from Alaska down to Forks?" I said incredulously. "Forks isn't a big city! It isn't even a city! It's a town!" I exclaimed, my eyes wide. "Oh, God, are you sure you know what you're doing? I mean, I thought this stuff only happens in b –"

Edward kissed me to shut me up.

"I love you," he reminded me, lightly bumping his nose with mine. "Bella, I want to see you every day of the summer and beyond that, and I want to be able to hold you like this and fall asleep with you every night," he murmured, his green eyes depthless. "That isn't possible if we're miles apart, nor is it possible through webcam."

He raised his eyebrows, as if daring me to challenge him.

I sighed, knowing he was right.

Then I bit my lip nervously. "Are you sure Carlisle would be okay with –"

Edward kissed me hard. "Yes," he said finally, a little breathless. "Everything's going to be fine, Bella. Trust me."

"Big thing…" I muttered under my breath.

He chuckled and kissed my cheek. "I love you."

Those three words brought a happy grin to my face. "I love you too, Edward."

--  
**hmm. well. that was avbout the last ounce of drama your going to get, BUT something kinda odd and funny happens in the next chapter. one chap plus an epilogue, and then huzzah! its complete! :D**

**totally hope you likle it. And the whole theme of money that i stated in my prologue was proven in this chapter, in one specific paragrpah, which i hope you saw and realized. :) **

**drop a review please! :D**


	28. Say Goodbye to California

**last and final chapter of you asked me to love you. i sincerely hope you guys like it :)**

--

**CHAPTER 27 – Say Goodbye to California**

"I won't laugh," Edward said, his voice slightly muffled by the door of the bathroom. "C'mon, Bella, I want to see you."

"You want to see me?" I inquired dubiously, glaring at my reflection. "I look like a skank."

"That's not very nice."

"It's not my fault!" I gasped, trying to cover my reflection with my hands. "Alice had everything packed up for me, and all she left out was this. I really should have looked at it before giving the okay."

"C'mon, Bella," Edward said. "I'll still love you."

"No you won't," I muttered, more to myself. "I look like a Tanya clone with brown eyes and brown hair." I looked at my butt in the mirror, shuddering. Alice had given me a tight, extremely short pair of denim shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top. It wouldn't have been necessary if only the weather was about 80 degrees lower. California was seriously having a heat wave, and stepping outside was exactly what we would be doing.

"Please?" he pleaded.

I groaned. "Fine."

I cautiously turned the knob of the bathroom door and poked my head out into my bedroom, where Edward was sitting on my bed. He was seated at the side edge, facing the door, watching me with an expectant expression. He raised an eyebrow at me, his bronze-colored hair tousled and messy as ever.

"Ugh," I groaned again, switching off the light and nervously stepping into the room.

I stuffed my hands into my back pockets and blushed, feeling so exposed. Hell, it wasn't even lingerie. This was _clothing._

I peeked up at Edward, and he was staring at my legs. Good thing I shaved, right?

"It's so tight," I whined, glaring at the denim. It made my curves look a lot bigger than they actually were, which was what Alice probably intended to happen. "I can barely w –"

Somehow, he managed to cross the room in a matter of seconds and planted his lips firmly on mine. I threw my arms around his neck, smiling happily.

"You look sexy," Edward murmured against my lips. "Way better than Tanya."

I pulled away, blushing furiously and gasping for breath. Edward smiled at me, kissed me one more time, and then retrieved my duffle bag and laptop.

"Let's go, love," he said, slipping his hand into mine and handing me my sunglasses. I loved the way he called me "love", and the way his green eyes sparkled when he said it.

"Where's all my other luggage?" I asked, looking around the practically empty room.

He smiled again and brushed his lips lightly against mine. "I already put them in the Mercedes," he said, smirking. "I asked Rose for the key." He jingled the keys in the air before stuffing them back into his pocket.

Laughing, I rolled my eyes and put the big glasses on – the ones that took up half of your face. "Thanks."

Rosalie and Alice were in the living room, gathering up their things. Alice had bag after bag dangling off her little arms, and Rosalie was trying to balance her laptop and duffle bag on the same shoulder.

"You know," my sister said, looking sort of sweaty even though the A/C was on. "I kinda know how you feel now. Remember in the beginning of the year when I forced you to drag the entire luggage up the stairs?"

I nodded, smirking smugly. "And?"

"And now karma is back to bite me in the ass," Rosalie muttered, precariously carrying a second duffle bag on her other shoulder and stuffing some papers under her chin. She awkwardly looked at Alice, who was struggling with the same thing. "Dammit. Where the hell are Em and Jasper?"

"Here, here!" Emmett called from the open doorway, rubbing his hands together fervently and easily taking everything from Rosalie.

Jasper followed in, gave Rosalie and me his signature wave and smile, and hurried over to Alice. When Alice saw him, she grinned and dropped everything, running over to give him a hug and kiss. I looked away, feeling like I was intruding on something.

"Well," Emmett said, glancing around at all of us. "Everyone ready to go?"

"Say goodbye to Central Parkway," Edward said to Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie. "For sure."

"Way to rub it in, Eddie," Emmett growled playfully, but he looked truly as miserable as the rest of us. So many memories…

We filed out the door, down the hallway, and to the elevator, and when we got to ground level, we crossed the quad to go to the parking lot.

Edward and Emmett helped Rosalie and I get the luggage into the black Mercedes. Once my duffle bag and laptop joined my other suitcases, I turned around and immediately threw my arms around Edward's neck, breathing in his scent one last time.

"Are you alright, Bella?" Edward asked, his beautiful eyes full of concern. His thumb stroked my cheek gently, and I didn't even know I was crying until now. He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine, kissing me sweetly, as if savoring every moment of it.

Edward pulled back and gently brushed my tears away with his lips, warm and soft against my skin.

Even though he rubbed soothing circles on my lower back, I wasn't reassured at all.

"We'll see each other," he promised, smiling warmly. "Soon."

I bit my quivering lip and nodded, feeling more tears swell up and trail down my cheeks. "Goodbye, Edward," I mumbled, sniffling. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Alice sobbing into Jasper's shoulder.

Edward leaned down and kissed me again, momentarily making me forget what was happening. But when I saw his gorgeous green eyes again, I felt ripped apart.

"I'll talk to Carlisle," he promised. "Bye, Isabella," he murmured into my ear, and I buried my head in his chest, once again inhaling the sweet scent of him. I vaguely wondered when I would be able to see him again, much less smell him again.

"I love you," I whispered into his shirt. I was crying again, my salty tears trailing uncontrollably. "Don't forget me."

He chuckled, his chest rumbling lightly. "Of course I won't, Bella," he murmured. "I love you too much to forget you."

I blushed, stepped back, and put on a strong face for him. Giving him a shy smile, I turned to Emmett, who was waiting with a wide grin.

"Squirt," he said, opening his arms wide. "Come here, little sis."

I blushed even darker, feeling touched by the fact that he called me his "little sis". I stepped into his arms and instantly felt his muscular arms wrap around me and lift me off the ground.

I squealed through my tears. You could always count on Emmett to put a smile onto anyone's face.

"I'm going to miss you, Squirty," Emmett said, grinning widely as he set me back down onto the ground. Then he leaned down and quietly said, "You're going to need to email me everyday to give me some info" – he jutted his thumb back at Edward, who was embracing Rosalie – "on your good old boyfriend."

I blushed and laughed, saluting him with two fingers. "Roger that."

Emmett grinned. "I've taught you well."

"Bella," Jasper said, and I turned around and hugged Jasper tightly, smiling.

"Bye, Jasper," I said, sighing. "It was nice to meet you this year."

He laughed, rubbing gentle circles on my back. "Nice meeting you, too, Bella."

"Good luck in college," I said, giving him one last squeeze before pulling away. "You go earn some business money."

He laughed. "I'm on it, don't worry Bella. You have fun with Edward and Alice, alright?"

"I will," I said, wiping my eyes. "And I'll take care of her," I added, answering his silent question.

He smiled, and before I knew it, little arms surrounded my waist. "BELLA!" Alice screamed, and I looked down to see that she was sobbing. Her makeup was smeared all over her face, her pale skin glistening with fresh tears.

"Ali," I sighed, kissing the top of her head. "I'll see you again," I said, casting one look up at Edward, who was watching me with love and affection in his eyes. I gave him a small smile, which he returned, and pulled Alice closer to me. "I'll see you soon, Alice," I said to her. "This friendship is going to stay strong, no matter how many miles apart we are, okay?"

Alice laughed sadly and nodded, getting on her tippy-toes to kiss my cheek.

"Love you, sis," Alice said, backing away to Edward, who wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She stared at his arm for a moment, and then looked up at me, a serious expression on her face. "Thank you."

I smiled at her, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "You don't need to thank me," I said.

Before she could protest, various numbers of arms wrapped around me, and I looked to find Jackie, Angela, and even little Ben Cheney hugging me tightly, loudly yelling goodbyes and thank you's.

"Bye guys!" I said, laughing through another round of crying. Meanwhile, Rosalie was being bombarded by Donna and the rest of her clique.

"Thanks so much, Bella," Jackie said, hugging me tighter.

I smiled. "Have fun in college, Jaclyn," I said, teasing her by using her full name. "Yale, am I right?"

She nodded, grinning. "We'll have to keep in contact."

I sighed and hugged her tight, glancing around the parking lot to see a bunch of goodbyes being exchanged. Lauren was wiping dramatically at her eyes while Tanya was talking to Eric. Jessica was sobbing to Mike, who had his arms lovingly wrapped around her. Jacob, who was talking to Tyler, tore his gaze away from his friend and met mine. For a moment, I was stunned, and we just stared at each other. But then he smiled coridally and gave me a heartwarming wave.

"Bye, Bella," he mouthed.

I smiled and nodded slightly in a farewell gesture. "Bye, Jake."

While Rosalie drove us to the airport, I rested my elbow on the side door, staring out at the sunny skies of Beverly Hills. The landscape of city and outlets and restaurants flew by as my sister sped across the freeway. After today, green scenery was the only thing we'd be seeing.

I thought of how I'd changed this year, how Rosalie had changed, how our lives had been so drastically altered. Central Parkway made me who I am. I thought of what it would have been like if Edward wasn't there, silently laughing at all the childish arguments we had. And then I sobered up as I recalled my Christmas Eve, my New Year's. My eyes went down to the bracelet clasped around my wrist, and I brought it up to my lips and kissed the little gold heart that dangled off of it, still thinking about him. I wondered if he was thinking about me, too.

Dropping my hand, I looked over at Rosalie. My sister was staring straight ahead, her hands and posture tense as she drove. She looked so sad, but I knew that she didn't have to worry. Emmett would be going to college with her – everything was going to be fine.

Suddenly, Rosalie tore her gaze away from the road to glance at me, and our eyes locked. Then she smiled, and I saw a single tear slip down her pale cheek.

I returned it with my own watery smile. With each other, when it was just us two, we didn't need to put on strong faces. Our emotions were naked, and that was the glory of having Rosalie as a sister.

But then my cell phone vibrated, as did Rosalie's, and I grabbed both of ours to see that we'd gotten new text messages. I looked at my text, which made me want to have Rosalie stop the car and drive all the way back to find Edward and Alice.

"'Soon,'" I read softly. I could feel her eyes on me. "'I'll be back with you soon, I promise. I love you.'" At the bottom, it said…

_Love,_

_Edward_

-------o-------

"Charlie!" Rosalie and I both called, stepping into the large mansion. Which was inevitably vacant.

"Damn," my sister muttered, walking around the smooth, wooden floor of the house. She dropped her bag onto the family room couch and glanced around. "Dad?"

"Anyone home?" I called, hearing my voice echo off the high ceiling. I sighed. "Why did we even come home?" I muttered under my breath, looking around miserably.

Rosalie sighed. "Guess he's still at work."

"Does he even know that we're coming home today?" I asked her, wandering around the quiet house to make sure he wasn't dead or something.

Rosalie shrugged. "I told him a month ago, and then reminded him yesterday night with a message, since he didn't pick up," she sighed. "Maybe he's just running late."

"Maybe," I said, but then I heard a lock turn at the front door. "Hey, Rose! He's home!"

Rosalie squealed, instantly dashing to the front door with me trailing clumsily behind, grinning like an idiot.

"Dad!" I called excitedly. "You're h – what the hell are you doing here?" I gasped, my smile immediately disappearing.

Rosalie looked just as shocked as I did.

"Are you lost?" Rosalie asked, scowling now. "Because this is _our_ house…"

Tanya glared at us, took the key out of the lock, and stepped into the mansion. She looked around, wrinkling her little nose in disgust before looking back at us.

"Swan," she nodded.

"Dachelet."

"So, what? Are you stalking us now?" Rosalie sneered.

Tanya glared at her. "Don't start, Momma Rosey. Seeing as we'll be living together, I suggest you shut the hell up."

"Wait, what?" I said ominously, scrutinizing her expression to find any hint of falseness.

Tanya glared at me. "That's right. You heard what I said, loud and clear. We're going to live together."

"L-Live together?" I stuttered, my eyes widening. "Why on earth – "

"BELLS! ROSEY!" Charlie exclaimed, running over to us and hugging us like it was the end of the world. "I MISSED YOU GUYS SO MUCH!" I'd never seen him so enthusiastic.

Rosalie still looked confused and shocked at the same time, and I was sure my expression mimicked hers. But I patted my father's back.

"Hey, Dad. We've missed you a lot. W –"

"Charlie!" an unfamiliar voice sang, the voice silky and high-pitched…a lot like Tanya's, actually. "Where's my Charliepoo!"

"Sophiebear!" Charlie said, and I almost fell over because he stepped away so quickly. Rosalie grabbed my arm and gave me a stern look.

A gorgeous, beautiful blond woman stepped into the house, walking around like she owned the place. She had gorgeous blond hair, like Tanya's, but her eyes were an icy blue. She didn't look a day over thirty.

"Oh, I'm guessing these are your two daughters?" the woman asked, grinning so widely I was scared it was going to break her face.

Rosalie and I both had our jaws wide open as we stared back and forth between Tanya and the tall woman. The resemblance was absolutely…unnerving. Oh, God, no. Please no. This couldn't be happening…

"Mother," Tanya said, crossing her arms across her chest. "These are Charlie's daughters," she confirmed, not looking very happy. Actually, she was glowering at her mother with utmost hatred.

Ms. Dachelet gave an overly happy, soprano laugh and threw her arms around both Rosalie and me. Her overpowering, too-strong perfume made both of us cough and step away.

She grabbed onto both of Rosalie's cheeks and began to violently squeeze them with her fingers, gushing, "Oh, Charlie, look! They're so _adorable._ Look at these squishy little cheeks. Oh, hello, snookums!" Rosalie shoved her hands away and backed towards me, rubbing her face.

"Lord," my sister said. "Oh, Lord. You have _got_ to be kidding me."

"Face it," Tanya sneered, glaring around at everyone. "They're dating."

"Did you know about this?" I asked Tanya, completely appalled as Rosalie let out a string of curses, not even bothering to be quiet about it.

Tanya shook her head, her blond hair flipping around. "Not until Blondie over there" – she pointed at her mother, who was snuggling with Charlie (gross…) –"told me about him on our way home. She wouldn't shut up about Charlie, and we ended up picking up your daddy over at his office."

"Well, shit," I said, scratching the side of my head. Then I looked suspiciously at Tanya. "But what about your dad? Are your parents divorced?"

Tanya gave me a cold, acidic stare that made me instantly recoil.

"My father is dead," she growled through clenched teeth, her grey eyes hard and sharp. "He was murdered when I was four."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said, feeling a pang of sympathy for Tanya. So did this mean that everything she said during the cafeteria was a lie?

Tanya shrugged, brushing it off, but her eyes were pained as they bore into mine.

"He was going to do all those things," Tanya said slowly, narrowing her eyes at me as if she'd read my mind. "Give me allowances, take me to Hawaii. But after a bastard shot the eff out of him, he died."

"Oh," I mumbled, and for one moment, I saw a hurt, broken girl in the body of a stuck-up slut. One moment. That was all. But it was still a moment.

An awkward, tense silence filled the air, until Charlie boomed, "Well, kids, Sophie is moving in with us. Isn't that fantastic?!"

Rosalie, Tanya, and I just stared at them expressionlessly. Well, I did. Tanya and Rosalie were both scowling, their arms crossed across their chest.

Charlie's smile faded, but Sophie remained quirky and totally energetic.

"Well, guess what, snookumies? Charliepoo and I are going to Jamaica this summer. You girls have fun while we're gone! And don't forget to use protection!" She wiggled her eyebrows at us, beaming.

"Wait, Dad," I said. "What about work?"

Charlie laughed loudly, affectionately kissing his girlfriend. It was slightly disturbing to see Sophie tower over short little Charlie. Actually, the whole sight was disturbing. Period. "They're offering me time off," my dad said, grinning widely as laugh lines formed in the corners of his eyes. "So Sophie and I are going to go to Jamaica to spend vacation."

Rosalie's hands clenched into tight fists, the tendons white against her already pale skin. Her lips shifted into a tight line as her eyes darted back and forth between Charlie and Sophie.

"Fine," she finally said, her voice ice cold as it rang throughout the vast room. "Go. Go hang with that hag, Dad. Choose _her_" – she nodded her head at Sophie Dachelet, who had gone over to sniff some plastic flowers at the table – "over your own daughters."

With that, she stormed out of the room, stomping angrily up the stairs.

Charlie looked guilty, but Sophie plus kissing plus whispering in his ear was enough to make him grin, and enough to make both Tanya and I gag.

Tanya walked over to me, her face unfathomable, but her grey eyes weren't cold or hard, but rather empathetic.

"Face it," she said again. "You can't have everything, Swan."

And I knew she wasn't just referring to my situation.

-------o-------

"This webcam thingy is so confusing," I muttered, and Edward laughed.

"Technology," Edward said, shaking his head and still laughing. "Oh, make sure you look at the camera when you talk. Not at the screen. Because then it just looks weird."

"Right," I answered, giving him a thumbs up. Then I frowned. "How am I going to kiss you good night?"

The Edward on the screen laughed again, and although it wasn't the precise sound of his laugh, it was still musical. "Blow kiss," he joked.

I laughed, giving him a blow kiss just like he said. "Anyway, you won't believe it."

"Believe what?" Edward asked, his green eyes vibrant. He had his elbows resting on the table, his chin on top of his hands, ready to listen.

My heart swelled with love, until I thought of what I was about to say. Wrinkling my nose, I said, "Charlie is dating your ex's mom."

Something flashed in his eyes, and Edward ran a hand through his hair, looking extremely angry.

"Is that so?" he asked stiffly.

"It's fine!" I said quickly, although inside I didn't believe it. Neither did Edward. To be honest, I wasn't worried about Tanya. Her mom, on the other hand… I sighed. "Edward, he can't marry her," I whimpered, rubbing my face with my hand. "That's literally…" I trailed off, trying to find a word to describe it, only to say nothing because everything seemed so wrong.

"Hey," Edward said, his tone abruptly soft and gentle. "They're not going to marry each other."

"Oh, God," I groaned. "Sophie has – "

"Sophia," Edward interrupted, sighing. "Her full name is Sophia."

I rolled my eyes but smirked anyway. "As I was saying, _Sophia_" – I accentuated her name just to make him happy, and Edward laughed – "has Charlie rolled around her finger. They started dating a little after Rose and I left for CP."

"It hasn't even been a year yet."

"I know that," I mumbled, on the verge of tears. "I just…DAMMIT!" I swore, causing Edward to chuckle. "Stop enjoying this," I mumbled.

He stopped smiling, resting both of his elbows on the desk again. "I'm sorry, Bella," he apologized sincerely.

"It's fine," I muttered. "Ugh, Charlie is like a male version of Sophie. It's freaking the hell out of me and Rose. And Rose totally hates Sophie. That woman is so _perky._"

"Hey, I'm perky," a soprano voice said. Alice's face popped into view, and she was grinning. "Hey, Bella."

I laughed. "Alice!"

"Get your big head out of the way, Ali," Edward grumbled.

"Ahem," Alice muttered. "Edward, my head is smaller than yours. But my brain is still bigger!" she squealed loudly, laughing as she backed away and pulled up a chair, situating herself next to Edward.

"Anyway, who's perky?" Alice asked somberly.

I relayed what I'd told to Edward, and Alice groaned. "Damn, Eddie, we really need to get down there. Tanya as a step-sister? That's suicide. I mean, you guys are already living together."

"I know," I muttered. "But we don't know if they're getting married or anything. It's just really disturbing. I mean, the other day, Sophie went into my bathroom and replaced all of my hair products with Sweet Pea from Bath & Body Works!" I exclaimed. "I like the scent, but –"

"Your strawberry shampoo is gone?" Edward gaped hysterically.

"Sadly, yes."

His eyes narrowed. "Don't worry, love, I'll get you one for your birthday."

I giggled, but continued, "And my bathroom looks terrible. There is _so_ much pink. It's not even funny. Pink towels, pink toothbrush, pink shower curtain. And, oh my God. Sophie walks around the house in nothing but pink. She is just like a thirty-year-old Barbie doll."

"And Rosalie?" Alice asked.

"Oh, Rose has it worse," I said dramatically. "Her whole room was redecorated, and she refuses to even step in it. That's why she's crashing with me. And what's even worse is that Charlie isn't doing anything about it."

"Ouch," Alice said. "That sucks."

"Help me!" I whined, dropping my face to my hands.

"Don't worry, Bella," Alice said. "Esme is already making plans. She can_not_ wait to see you."

"Oh, God," I muttered, feeling butterflies flutter in my stomach at the thought of meeting Edward's parents.

"Don't worry, Bella," Alice said. "Just give it time. In fact, I'll go talk to Esme right now. See you later, Bells."

"Bye, Ali."

Once Alice disappeared, Edward sighed and ran a hand through his hair, smiling apologetically at me. It was then that I saw the dark circles under his eyes.

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked, my index finger involuntarily going up to the screen. I traced the pixels that created the dark, prominent circles, and Edward looked at me questioningly.

"No," he admitted.

"You haven't been sleeping."

"Of course I have," he said defensively, but it didn't reach his eyes. "And what are you doing?"

I ignored him and dragged my finger down the screen towards his lips. As if he'd read my mind, he held still, watching me. Then I saw him move his arm, and he wasn't looking at the camera anymore. He was looking at the screen, like I was.

"Oh, Edward," I said, dropping my arm and quickly wiping away a tear. "We've been apart for only two days, and I already miss you."

His eyes darted back up again so he appeared to be looking at me. "I miss you too, Bella," he sighed. "But don't worry. This will work out. I promise you that."

"You keep making promises!" I exclaimed, feeling more tears. "But do you even mean them?" I regretted the words the moment they slipped past my lips.

My heart swelled as I caught the look on his face – like he'd just been slapped. When he spoke, his voice was eerily calm. "I know what I'm doing," he said slowly. "Bella, if I make a promise, I keep it. Please, love. Just let me handle this."

I stared at him for a long moment before groaning in frustration. "I'm sorry," I apologized, rubbing my eyes furiously. "I can't believe…oh, God, Edward. Rosalie is leaving so soon. She already has things packed up! And…and Tanya is going to college too. All I'm left with is her _mother._ Dammit, Edward. I can't… I won't… she's a psycho bitch!" I exclaimed, glancing at the door to make sure no one heard me. There was no sound.

"Don't worry, Bella," Edward assured me for what seemed like the umpteenth time. "Just give it time, like Alice said, and everything is going to work out."

"What if it doesn't?" I asked. "Because so many things could happen. There are just so many –"

"I'm not letting anything come between us," Edward said firmly, his voice determined. "I love you, you know that," he said, his eyes burning with emotion. "Please, Bella. I know you're worried and stressed." He licked his lips for a moment, looking thoughtful. Then determination was swimming in his eyes. "But I'll be there for you, whether I'm next to you or on the other side of the world."

His words made me cry even more, and I put a hand up to my mouth to muffle my sob. It wasn't that they hurt my feelings, but they just made me want him so badly - more than ever. Every time I felt surges of love for him, all I had to do was look up and he'd be there, looking gorgeous and beautiful as ever. He was within my reach. But now…God, I couldn't last. And it'd only been two damn days.

"Okay," I said softly, trying to let myself believe it. I quickly wiped my face with my sleeve. "Okay. I…I love you, Edward."

He wasn't looking at me anymore, but his eyes were once again on the screen, his arm yet again raised.

"What are you doing?" I asked warily.

A crooked grin formed on his face. "I'm memorizing you."

"Why would you do that?" I asked, my face flushing crimson. "I mean, it's not like we aren't seeing each other again."

His smiled sadly now, still "memorizing me." Then he sighed, looking like a lost little puppy. "When I dream about you, I want your face to look exactly like it does in reality," he confessed, his green eyes distant, as if remembering something. Though I could tell his finger was still tracing my features on the screen.

The way he said "reality" made me feel a pang of sadness.

"It's only in my dream that we really kiss and touch," Edward whispered gently, his eyes darting up.

I blushed, instantly feeling an obvious sense of loss. "Mine too."

He dropped his arm, and some muffled voice sounded through the door. Edward listened for a moment, and then he frowned before saying, "Alright, Dad! I'm on it!"

I giggled at how he said "dad," like a little toddler boy. It was just funny for some reason.

"What's so funny?" Edward asked, raising an eyebrow as the atmosphere became light and teasing.

"Nothing," I said, giggling still. Changing the subject, I said, "What's up?"

He sighed. "Carlisle wants me to go help him hand-wash his Ferrari." I had this sudden image of Edward wet with soap water...his hair sparkling with diamonds...his shirt clinging to his sk...Ah.

I blushed furiously but raised both eyebrows at him. "Wow."

Edward laughed. "Carlisle claims that us hand-washing it is better than actually going to the washing place." He shrugged, looking adorable as ever. "To each his own, I guess."

I laughed. "It's sort of late, isn't it?"

Edward shook his head. "Alaska is all light during summer. The sun's still up," he said.

I felt disappointed, but I knew that Edward was still a son who lived under his father's roof, and there were rules to follow. "Alright. I'll just head to bed. It's late, anyway."

Edward smiled crookedly. "Do I get a blow kiss?"

"Ah, yes," I said, beaming. I brought my fingers to my lips, kissed them, and blew it at the camera.

He made a motion of catching it and putting it into his pocket.

"I will always remember you," Edward said, smiling as I blushed.

Then I held up the gold bracelet that belonged to his mother. "I always kiss this heart before I go to sleep. Every night."

He laughed, looking buoyant though slightly tired. "Goodbye, Bella. I love you, beautiful."

My face flushed crimson, but I replied, "I love you too, Edward. Take care of Ali for me. And yourself."

He nodded. "I love you," he repeated, grinning crookedly.

Then the screen went blank.

**The End.**

**--  
no seriously. its the end.**

**i know the ending is very, VERY open. it's also very casual, no lovey dovey ness. which is hwy theres an epilogue! huzzah! the epilogue puts the completed finish to it all. i promise :)  
Poor bela and rosalie. how unfortunate. and poor tanya, x_x they all hate hteir parents now D:**

**ANYWAY. i want to thank ALL OF MY READERS for sticknig with bellyyy buns and eddiepooo from the beginning all the way to the end. weithout your reviews, i probably wouldnt have been so motivated to write. i really, really, really thank all of yoiu guys who alerted/favorited my stories or me, because it makes me feel good inside :D special thanks to adrienne, you rock, sis. thanks for your help! and thanks to my friend yatika for her helpand encouragement. all in all, THANKS SO, SO, SO MUCH TO EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!**

**wait for my epilogue, please. :) thanks again! :D  
**


	29. Epilogue: Promises

_**NOTE TO READER:**_ once again, i just want to thank all of you for your support on this story :) but i also want to ask you to either alert this story or alert me (if you already havent) if you want a sequel notice. because the thing is, i MIGHT do a sequel. ive considered it and started a couple drafts or so. also, ive also posted up a totally new story called _A Single Perception_. please check it out! if i do post a sequel for this story, im not sure which one ill update faster - the sequel or the new story. but anyway, just keep an eye out please. xD

anyway, heres the epilogue. thanks again for all of your guys support!!!!!!! :D you all rock. :)

--

**Epilogue: Promises**

"I can't believe it," Rosalie murmured into my ear while we walked side by side along the busy airport walkways. "I'm going to college."

I hugged my sister tighter, her blond hair tickling the side of my face.

"That you are," I agreed quietly, ignoring Charlie and Sophie who were trailing behind us. Tanya was way up ahead of everyone else. "Go dominate Stanford," I said, laughing.

My sister laughed with me, and then sighed when we reached the appropriate gate. "Well, my flight is leaving soon," Rosalie murmured. "Em actually lives in California…so it easier for him. He's going to pick me up once I get to Cali," she said happily, her eyes glowing at the thought of seeing him again.

I smiled, and my arms tightened around her slim waist. Flashes of our sisterhood flew through my mind, all the way from when we were four to now, over a decade later, when she was leaving. "I love you, Rose," I said, feeling my eyes get all watery.

"Aw, Bells," Rosalie said, stopping and pulling me into a full hug. "I love you, too, little sis."

Taking a step away, I wiped away a tear.

"Attention all passengers boarding the 405 flight from Seattle to Beverly Hills. We are now boarding all first class passengers. All first class passengers, please board the plane at this moment. Thank you."

"Well, I guess that's my queue," Rosalie said, holding me at arms length before crushing me back against her. "Oh, God, I love you, Bells. I'm oging to miss you so much. And take care of Charlie," she implored desperately.

"Take care of yourself," I responded, stepping back, and I was surprised to see her crying.

"I will," she said, delicately wiping tears away from her eyes before turning to Charlie. I, on the other hand, turned to Tanya, who was waiting expectantly. She didn't look patient, but at least she tolerated.

"Bye, Tanya," I said, giving her an awkward wave.

She gave a curt nod.

"Look…about high school…"

"Don't mention it," she said, not looking at me. She was staring blankly ahead, looking but not seeing. But I noticed the hand that gripped the handle of her tote bag was strained, the fist tight. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"I never fully ap –"

"It doesn't matter," she repeated, glaring down at me. "You have everything, alright? I accept that."

"Everything?"

But before she could answer, Rosalie bounded over, quickly swiping away tears.

"Well, we need to go," she said, glancing at Tanya, who had become immobile again. Rosalie pulled me into her arms one last time.

"I love you, sis," Rosalie murmured into my ear.

"Have fun in college," I whispered. "And email me."

"You can count on it."

And just like that, she was gone.

I walked sluggishly across the airport halls, yards behind Charlie and Sophie. They didn't even seem to notice, walking around hand-in-hand like a perfect, happy couple. And suddenly, as I glanced around, all I saw were happy couples. Teenagers walking around holding hands, thirty-year-old husbands coming back from business trips to greet their awaiting wives and children. They all looked so happy, because they had found one beautiful yet complicated thing: love. Oh, how I wanted that right now. I wanted Edward. I wanted to walk around the airport – or any place, for that matter – holding his hand and showing to everyone that he was mine and no one else's. I wanted that so, so mu –

At first, I assumed that my thoughts were making me see things. I mean, there are other people who have auburn hair, especially at an airport, where people are everywhere. But no one had auburn hair that was messy enough to rival Edward's.

The man was standing beside a screen, looking at the list of flights. There was a taller man with blond hair standing next to him, as well as a slightly shorter woman with curly, caramel-colored hair. They all had their backs to me. Although I couldn't see their faces, a bubble of hope formed in my stomach, and I squinted, trying to figure out whether I was imagining it or actually seeing it. Abruptly, a person moved out of the way, and I saw a flash of black, inky hair.

"Outta my way," a person grumbled, knocking my shoulder as they flew by me.

"Oh, sorry," I said absently, still peering over heads and persistently trying to recognize the figures. Another person passed by me, rudely bumping into my other shoulder before muttering a curse under his breath. But I still didn't look away.

There was too much hope in my heart for me to even move from my spot right in the middle of the bustling walkways. Charlie and Sophie seemed oblivious to my hesitation, but it didn't matter. I squinted again, trying to figure out who it was. They seemed absolutely familiar. My heart was soaring with anxiety and excitement. Could it be? No...there was no way. It's phenomenal. It's uncanny. It's...

Suddenly, the hint of black turned around to reveal a face of pale…white…skin…

I instantly knew who it was.

"ALICE!" I screamed, ignoring the dirty looks from people passing by. A little boy looked at me funny, but a rush of adrenaline had me sprinting full speed towards the little pixie figure. Her face was too far away to tell the expression, but instinct told me I was doing the right thing.

"Bells!" Charlie called after me. "Where on earth do you think you're going?" I stumbled over someone's suitcase, mumbling a quick "sorry", though I kept my eyes trained on the target, my heart racing. I barely heard Charlie call to me.

"Alice!" I screamed again, now clumsily crawling over the waiting chairs. The little pixie figure seemed to be approaching me at the same time. Little arms slipped around my waist in what seemed like hours later. "Ali!"

"Bella!" her soprano voice sang, parallel to wind chimes.

I kissed her inky black hair and pulled her as close as possible, feeling happier than I'd ever been.

"Hello, Bella," an silky, seductive voice murmured.

I let go of Alice and immediately threw my trembling arms around Edward's neck, wrapping my legs around his waist and trying to fill every air space between us. "Edward," I breathed, inhaling his sweet scent and closing my eyes. I could feel his warm breath tickling the back of my neck as he held me tight.

"What is going on here, Bella?" Charlie asked, sounding mad and out of breath. But I didn't let go of Edward. I merely ignored my dad and pulled Edward closer, running my fingers through his soft, auburn hair.

"I missed you, Edward," I mumbled into the warm skin of his neck, sounding a little breathless. My heart was racing against my chest, thumping so loudly I was sure Edward could hear it _and_ feel it.

I felt him smile against my skin. "I missed you too, love."

Then I gazed into his green eyes again, a liquidy, soft green that shined with excitement. He crashed his lips to mine, and I felt totally complete after what? Four days? Weeks? Who knew? The hours had seemed to drag.

He kissed me eagerly, and I returned it with just as much fervor as he did. Screw public. I didn't care who was watching – not now. In this moment, there was no such thing as the public. There was only me and Edward, nobody else. When was the last time we'd kissed? I kissed him harder, his soft, unruly hair tickling the skin of my palm.

"I love you," he murmured against my lips, his fingers tangled in my hair. "God, I love you, Bella."

My left hand traced the soft, heated skin of his neck, and I pulled away, gasping for air. Despite the fact that our environment was a crowded, busy airport in Seattle, I only kept my eyes on him.

"Edward," I murmured, kissing him again. "I love you."

Someone cleared their throat, and just like that, our little fairytale ended. We pulled away at the same time, and Edward awkwardly set me back down onto the ground. But he didn't let go of me – he merely slipped an arm around my waist and crushed me against his side.

Resting my head on his shoulder, I looked over at our parents – both his and mine – and blushed furiously. Alice looked normal, but she was grinning like an idiot. She'd seen us before…of course…but Charlie. Oh, Charlie. Poor guy. I was getting it when we were home.

I glanced over at who I assumed was Edward's parents, and I recognized the blond-haired man and the woman who had caramel-colored hair. They were both pale and were two of the most gorgeous-looking people I'd ever met. Unlike Charlie, they were both smiling.

"Mom, Dad, this is Bella Swan," Edward said nervously, leading me over to his parents. "Bella, these are my adoptive parents." The way his voice shined with pride and dignity proved just how much he loved them.

My face flushed as I held a hand out to them. After all, they'd just seen Edward and I literally make-out. How awkward could that be?

"Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," I said politely, feeling slightly intimidated by their good looks. They didn't look a day over thirty.

The blond-haired man shook my hand. "Bella," he greeted, giving me a dazzling smile. "Please, call me Carlisle. "

My face darkened as I peered into his soft brown eyes. "Carlisle," I repeated, smiling.

The woman, rather than shaking my hand, embraced me. She smelled nice; a flowery scent mixed with a twinge of cookies. "Hello, Bella," she said. I instantly liked her. "Call me Esme."

"Hello, Esme," I greeted. Her eyes were a lovely hazel color, and she was the image of a perfect mother. I could see why Edward cared for her. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. Edward has told us so much about you."

I sent Edward a look (which he returned, looking sort of embarrassed) before taking a step back and looking over at Charlie.

He and Edward seemed to be having a stare down, so I quickly said, "Charlie, this is Alice" – I gestured to the little pixie, who smiled and waved (to my surprise, Charlie smiled at her) – "and this is Edward Cullen. Edward is my…" I looked at Esme nervously, wondering if she approved of me. "…boyfriend."

The smile Charlie had was instantly gone. "Boyfriend, huh?" Charlie said threateningly, taking a step closer to Edward, who didn't even flinch. "You think you can go around picking on innocent little girls, punk? Well, I'll have you know that Bel –"

"Dad!" I interrupted franticly, cutting him off mid-sentence and shaking my head wildly. "Please! Not now."

Charlie looked lethal, but nodded, still glaring at Edward.

I glanced at Edward, and he looked totally unfazed. Actually, his eyes shined with obvious amusement.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Edward said cordially, holding out a hand for a manly handshake.

Charlie merely huffed and crossed his arms, now scowling. Edward dropped his hand, looking slightly embarrassed.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked nervously, making a mental note to tell Charlie to be nicer.

Alice leaned against Edward, smiling, though I noticed she sent suspicious glances over at Sophie, who was staring at the list of flights on the screen (probably trying to figure out what it meant). "We live here now. Well, not here. But in Forks."

My jaw dropped and my eyes widened.

"Yeah," Edward added. "We wanted to surprise you…but I wasn't aware of the fact that you'd be here today." He scratched the side of his head sheepishly, becoming that cute little boy again.

Carlisle chuckled, wrapping an arm affectionately around Esme. "Why are you surprised, Bella?" he asked lightly, causing me to blush. "Edward here wouldn't stop pestering me about it. So I had to give in."

I looked over at Edward, who smiled timidly at me, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

"It's perfectly okay," Esme said, giving me a motherly smile and flashing me perfect white teeth. "I like a new change of environment anyway."

I smiled. "That's good to know," I said, laughing.

"How about you, Bella?" Carlisle asked.

"Oh, I was here to say goodbye to my sister Rosalie…and Tanya. They're off to college today."

At the mention of Tanya's name, I noticed Carlisle and Esme send each other looks, Edward fidget uncomfortably, and Alice raise an eyebrow at her family.

Charlie cleared his throat, a glare still on his face. "Well, we need to head home, Bells. There are things we need to take care of." He gave me a stern, "you're in trouble for not telling me" look. Either that, or the "if you guys _dare_ to have sex…" Uh oh. I was in for it.

As if knowing how I felt, Carlisle said, "Oh, Bella can head home with us, if that's alright with you."

"Yeah," Alice piped vivaciously. Then she turned to me. "I want to show you my new room. We already had the furniture and stuff imported, so everything's in place."

The Cullens looked at me expectantly.

"Oh. Uh, sure," I said, grabbing onto Edward's hand, daring anyone to tear us apart. Edward smiled affectionately at me, and my face became bright red. "I would love to see your new home," I said genuinely, looking around at all the Cullens.

"Fantastic," Carlisle said, grinning and looking like a model.

I glanced at Charlie, and he huffed, still scowling. "Fine." Then he glowered at Edward. "If you hurt my baby girl, I know how to use a g –"

"Dad."

"Sorry, Bells," Charlie said, sighing. He wrapped his arm around Sophie. "No later than ten, Bella. It was nice meeting you all," he said, giving Edward one last menacing glare before turning away with Sophie clinging to his arm.

"He doesn't like me," Edward said, sounding disappointed. His brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what he did wrong.

I laughed and kissed his jaw. "Don't worry. He's a softie if you offer him homemade brownies."

"Ooh, I'll make some!" Esme joked enthusiastically, and we all laughed.

"He's allergic to nuts," I informed her, playing along as we began walking.

Esme laughed and wrapped her arm around me from my other side, so that I was sandwiched between Edward and his mother. "I like you already, Bella," Esme said quietly, her smile warm and motherly.

I blushed. "Thank you, Esme…"

Alice bounced happily along Edward's other side, talking animatedly about her new room as we headed for the exit. "…lavender-colored walls. You'll totally love it. The bedspread has a gorgeous, elegant flowery design to it, and the floor is carpeted. I'm thinking about adding some drapes to the window, you know, to make it more urbanish…"

"I keep my promises," Edward murmured into my ear, making me jump in surprise.

Then I grinned at him. "Good job, Mr. Cullen," I said, giggling and linvoluntarily eaning into his side.

Esme smiled before letting me go completely and joining Carlisle.

And just like that, we were together again. It didn't matter that Rosalie was gone. It didn't matter that Charlie was becoming another man. Who cared about Sophie? All that mattered was that Edward was with me, that Alice would be back to bother me about my wardrobe, and that, hey – I could have a new mother and father.

Suddenly, Tanya's voice filled my mind._ "You have everything, alright? I accept that."_ Before, in the moment, I didn't understand it at all. But as I thought about all the Cullens - about how nice and perfect they were - I realized what she'd meant. I had Edward, someone I was sure she really did love and care for. I had Rosalie, a sister to confide in, and a father, who was alive and happy. And now, just by remembering the kind, welcoming faces of Carlisle and Esme, I knew I had them, too. I had everything Tanya had ever wanted, and as Edward and I walked together, I realized that there was more to this girl than just the tough facade she wore on the outside. Feeling a pang of sympathy, I silently vowed to be nicer to her from now on. Somehow, my gut feeling said she deserved it.

We walked way ahead of the others, our footsteps matching perfectly. I had a feeling the rest of the Cullens were walking slow on purpose.

"I like your parents," I said to Edward as we walked, our intertwined hands swinging back and forth between us.

Edward chuckled, a gorgeous smile forming on his face. "And they like you, Bella," he answered.

I grinned. "That's a relief."

Edward looked down at me, his eyes scrutinizing my expression. "Relief?" he said. "Did you think they wouldn't like you?"

I shrugged, sheepishly staring down at the tiled floor. "I dunno. Usually, I'm ignored. Or something goes wrong."

Edward kissed the top of my head. "You were perfect," he murmured against my hair. "Besides, I can feel Esme watching us. She absolutely adores it every time we touch or whisper to each other."

"Oh. Hmm. You want to kiss me for show?"

Edward looked at me for a moment, and then a corner of his lips turned upward. "No. I just want to kiss you."

I laughed and got onto my tippy-toes just as he leaned down, our lips meeting for a couple of seconds before I pulled away. Edward raised an eyebrow at me, so I quickly whispered, "We don't want to get carried away, Eddie."

Edward wrinkled his nose at the mention of his nickname, but I only laughed and proceeded walking.

"I can't believe you moved to Forks," I said, sighing happily. "I just _cannot_ believe you did that."

Edward laughed too, and then leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear. "I love you, you know that. From the moment I sang to you that night, I knew I was in love with you," he responded, his breath tickling my skin. "You asked me to love you."

I blushed but kept up a teasing demeanor. "Oh, so this is my fault?" I asked playfully, nudging his side and giggling.

"Well, if you weren't so damn beautiful…"

I elbowed his side again, laughing. "Just remember that I love you."

"Of course," Edward said, grinning crookedly before brushing his lips against my cheek. "And I'll love you, Isabella Marie Swan...forever."

**The End**


	30. Sequel

**I PRESENT TO YOU......**

**.............**

**............**

**_Someday, You'll Know How I Feel._**

** the sequel to You Asked Me to Love You!!!!!!!! :) PLEASE CHECK IT OUT! ALSO. i want to let you guys know that that story wont be updated as often, because im focusing more on my other story, _A Single Perception._ PLEASE read and review for it! its my fav on the site (well, of the ones ive written) so PLEASE check it out. :D**

**also, imma jsut let yall know that i am going to delete my story PArallel Intuitions soon. just saying. ANYWAY, check out the sequel to you asked me to love you. and after that, check out _A Single Perception._ or you could do it the other way around. lol. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT! :D**


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